Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 34
Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)
Devanagari script
यं च कज्चिद् द्विजातीनां शूद्र: शुश्रूषुराव्रजेत्
Transliteration
yaṃ ca kaścid dvijātīnāṃ śūdraḥ śuśrūṣur āvrajet
Translation
ਅਤੇ ਜੇ ਕੋਈ ਸ਼ੂਦਰ ਆਦਰ ਨਾਲ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਇੱਛਾ ਰੱਖ ਕੇ ਦਵਿਜਾਂ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਕਿਸੇ ਦੇ ਕੋਲ ਆਵੇ…
Word by Word
यम्whom
यम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
कञ्चित्any (someone)
कञ्चित्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootकिम्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
द्विजातीनाम्of the twice-born (classes)
द्विजातीनाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootद्विजाति
FormFeminine, Genitive, Plural
शूद्रःa Shudra
शूद्रः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशूद्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
शुश्रूषुःdesirous of serving
शुश्रूषुः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशुश्रूषु
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
आव्रजेत्should go/approach
आव्रजेत्:
TypeVerb
Rootआ + व्रज्
FormOptative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaŚ
ŚūdraD
Dvijāti (twice-born)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
The verse frames a dharmic scenario in which a Śūdra, motivated by śuśrūṣā (respectful service and attendance), approaches a member of the twice-born classes; it introduces norms of conduct centered on service, humility, and social duty.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he begins a conditional statement about a Śūdra who approaches a dvijāti with the intention to serve, setting up the rule or consequence that follows in the subsequent verse(s).