Shloka 3

Varṇāśrama-ācāra and Vikarma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry on Safe Dharmas (शिवधर्मप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

जटाधारणसंस्कारं द्विजातित्वमवाप्य च | आधानादीनि कर्माणि प्राप्य वेदमधीत्य च

Transliteration

jaṭādhāraṇasaṃskāraṃ dvijātitvam avāpya ca | ādhānādīni karmāṇi prāpya vedam adhītya ca ||

Translation

ଜଟାଧାରଣ ଆଦି ସଂସ୍କାର ଓ ଉପନୟନ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଦ୍ୱିଜତ୍ୱ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରି, ବେଦାଧ୍ୟୟନ ସମାପ୍ତ କରି, ପରେ ଆଧାନାଦି କର୍ମରୁ ଆରମ୍ଭ କରି ଗାର୍ହସ୍ଥ୍ୟ ଆଶ୍ରମ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିବ। ଅଗ୍ନିହୋତ୍ରାଦି କର୍ତ୍ତବ୍ୟ ପାଳନ କରି, ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟ ଓ ମନକୁ ସଂଯମରେ ରଖି, ଗୃହସ୍ଥଧର୍ମରେ କୃତକୃତ୍ୟ ହେଲେ ପରେ ବାନପ୍ରସ୍ଥ ଆଶ୍ରମରେ ପ୍ରବେଶ କରିବ।

Word by Word

• जटा-धारण-संस्कारम्: the rite of wearing matted hair (jata-dharana samskara)
• जटा-धारण-संस्कारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटाधारणसंस्कार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्विजातित्वम्: the state of being twice-born
• द्विजातित्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजातित्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप्य: having obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• आधान-आदीनि: the rites beginning with ādhāna (etc.)
• आधान-आदीनि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधानादि
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• कर्माणि: ritual acts
• कर्माणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• प्राप्य: having attained/obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• वेदम्: the Veda
• वेदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अधीत्य: having studied
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-इ
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Veda
• saṃskāra (rites)
• dvija (twice-born status)
• ādhāna/agnyādheya (establishment of sacred fires)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse outlines āśrama-dharma: after initiation and Vedic study, one should perform the prescribed fire-rites and household duties with discipline, and then, having fulfilled them, move onward toward the forest-dweller stage—treating each life-stage as a moral training completed before advancing.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma. Here he describes the proper progression of a twice-born person’s life: saṃskāras and Vedic education, then ritual responsibilities beginning with establishing the sacred fires, culminating in readiness to leave household life for the next stage.