Shloka 33

Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)

Devanagari script

त्रयी चान्वीक्षिकी चैव वार्ता च भरतर्षभ । दण्डनीतिश्न विपुला विद्यास्तत्र निदर्शिता:,भरतश्रेष्ठ! उस ग्रन्थमें वेदत्रयी (कर्मकाण्ड), आन्वीक्षिकी (ज्ञानकाण्ड), वार्ता (कृषि, गोरक्षा और वाणिज्य) और दण्डनीति--इन विपुल विद्याओंका निरूपण किया गया है

Transliteration

trayī cānvīkṣikī caiva vārtā ca bharatarṣabha | daṇḍanītiś ca vipulā vidyās tatra nidarśitāḥ ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ହେ ଭରତଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ସେହି ଗ୍ରନ୍ଥରେ ବେଦତ୍ରୟୀ, ଆନ୍ୱୀକ୍ଷିକୀ (ତର୍କ-ଜ୍ଞାନ), ବାର୍ତ୍ତା (କୃଷି, ଗୋରକ୍ଷା ଓ ବାଣିଜ୍ୟ) ଏବଂ ଦଣ୍ଡନୀତି—ଏହି ବିପୁଳ ବିଦ୍ୟାମାନଙ୍କର ନିରୂପଣ କରାଯାଇଛି।

Word by Word

त्रयीthe triad (of Vedas)

चand

आन्वीक्षिकीinquiry/logic (ānvīkṣikī)

चand

एवindeed/also

वार्ताeconomics; livelihood (agriculture, cattle-rearing, trade)

चand

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

दण्डनीतिःpolicy of punishment; political science

चand

विपुलाःextensive, abundant

विद्याःsciences/branches of knowledge

तत्रthere/in that (treatise)

निदर्शिताःhave been set forth/expounded

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Bharata (lineage addressed as bharatarṣabha)

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?

Bhīṣma identifies the major disciplines a ruler (and society) should know: sacred learning (trayī), critical inquiry (ānvīkṣikī), material prosperity through productive economy (vārtā), and governance through law and policy (daṇḍanīti). Together they balance spiritual authority, rational discernment, wealth-creation, and just administration.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs the Bharata prince on dharma and governance. Here he points to a referenced treatise/teaching in which these broad sciences are systematically explained, emphasizing the intellectual foundations of righteous rule.