Shloka 1
चिरकारि-उपाख्यानम् / The Exemplum of Cirakārī: Deliberation Before Irreversible Action
ऑपन---#र< बक। ] अत्शऑशाएड<ह एकोनषष्टर्याधिकद्विशततमो< ध्याय: धर्माधर्मके स्वरूपका निर्णय युधिषछ्िर उवाच इमे वै मानवा: सर्वे धर्म प्रति विशड्किता: । को<थयं धर्म: कुतो धर्मस्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: ime vai mānavāḥ sarve dharmaṃ prati viśaṅkitāḥ | ko ’yaṃ dharmaḥ kuto dharmas tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||
ਯੁਧਿਸ਼ਠਿਰ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ—ਪਿਤਾਮਹ! ਇਹ ਸਾਰੇ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਅਕਸਰ ਧਰਮ ਦੇ ਵਿਸ਼ੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੰਦੇਹੀ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਇਹ ਧਰਮ ਅਸਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੀ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਧਰਮ ਦੀ ਉਤਪੱਤੀ ਕਿੱਥੋਂ ਹੋਈ? ਮੈਨੂੰ ਦੱਸੋ।
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames dharma as a subject that naturally generates uncertainty and therefore requires careful inquiry and authoritative instruction; it introduces a foundational question: the nature of dharma and its source.
In the Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, Yudhiṣṭhira approaches Bhīṣma as a revered elder-teacher and asks him to clarify what dharma truly is and where it originates, since people are commonly confused about it.