Shloka 1

Satya–Anṛta Viveka (Discrimination between Truth and Falsehood) | सत्य–अनृत विवेकः

Devanagari script

ऑपन-माज बक। अऑसि्छऋाय-ज नवाधिकशततमो<्ध्याय: सत्य-असत्यका विवेचन

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kathaṁ dharme sthātum icchan naro varteta bhārata | vidvan jijñāsamānāya prabrūhi bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

ਯੁਧਿਸ਼ਠਿਰ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ—ਹੇ ਭਾਰਤ! ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਧਰਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਟਿਕੇ ਰਹਿਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਹ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਵਰਤੇ? ਹੇ ਵਿਦਵਾਨ! ਮੈਂ ਇਹ ਜਾਣਨਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦਾ ਹਾਂ; ਹੇ ਭਰਤਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ! ਮੈਨੂੰ ਇਸ ਦਾ ਵਰਣਨ ਕਰੋ।

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• धर्मे: in dharma / in righteousness
• धर्मे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• स्थातुम्: to stand; to remain
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

• इच्छन्: wishing; desiring
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Shatru (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वर्तेत: should behave; should conduct himself
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Vidhi-ling (optative), Present (modal), Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• भारत: O Bharata (descendant of Bharata)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विद्वन्: O learned one
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• जिज्ञासमानाय: to (me) who is inquiring; to one who seeks to know
• जिज्ञासमानाय: Sampradana
• Type: Verb
• Root: जिज्ञास्
• Form: Shanach (present middle participle), Masculine, Dative, Singular

• प्रब्रूहि: tell; explain
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Lot (imperative), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas; best of the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत-ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhārata
• Bharatarṣabha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames dharma as something to be consciously ‘stood in’ through deliberate conduct, and it opens a didactic discussion: the wise should articulate practical guidance on righteous living to sincere inquirers.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-setting, Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully asks a revered Bharata elder/teacher to explain how a person who wants to remain in dharma should behave, initiating a discourse on truth, falsehood, and the marks of dharma.