Shloka 68

Devanagari script

ब्रह्म वक्‍त्रं भुजौ क्षत्र॑ कृत्स्नमूरूदरं विश: । पादौ यस्याश्रिता: शूद्रास्तस्मै वर्णात्मने नम:

Transliteration

brahma vaktraṁ bhujau kṣatra kṛtsnam ūrū-daraṁ viśaḥ | pādau yasyāśritāḥ śūdrās tasmai varṇātmane namaḥ ||

Translation

ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ଯାହାଙ୍କ ମୁଖ, କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟ ଯାହାଙ୍କ ଭୁଜ, ବୈଶ୍ୟ ଯାହାଙ୍କ ଜଂଘା ଓ ଉଦର, ଏବଂ ଶୂଦ୍ର ଯାହାଙ୍କ ପାଦରେ ଆଶ୍ରିତ—ସେହି ବର୍ଣ୍ଣାତ୍ମକ ପରମାତ୍ମାଙ୍କୁ ନମସ୍କାର।

Word by Word

ब्रह्मthe Brahmin (class)

वक्त्रम्mouth/face

भुजौtwo arms

क्षत्रम्the Kshatriya (class)

कृत्स्नम्entire/whole

ऊरु-उदरम्thighs and belly (midsection)

विशःthe Vaishyas (people/merchant class)

पादौtwo feet

यस्यof whom/whose

आश्रिताःhaving resorted to; resting on

शूद्राःthe Shudras (servant class)

तस्मैto him

वर्ण-आत्मनेto the one whose essence is the varnas / the embodiment of the social orders

नमःsalutation

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Brahmins (Brāhmaṇa)

Kṣatriyas

Vaiśyas

Śūdras

Varṇātmā (the Being embodying the varṇas)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Society’s four varṇas are presented as limbs of a single higher Being, implying an organic interdependence and a sacred framework for social duties; the verse culminates in reverence toward that unifying principle.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and social order; here he uses the ‘body’ metaphor to describe the varṇas and offers a salutation to the divine reality that encompasses them.