Shloka 140
Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)
सकल चातुराश्रम्यं चातुहोंत्रं तथैव च । चातुर्वर्ण्य तथैवात्र चातुर्विद्यं च कीर्तितम्,युधिष्ठिर! पुराणशास्त्र, महर्षियोंकी उत्पत्ति, तीर्थ-समूह, नक्षत्रसमुदाय, ब्रह्मचर्य आदि चार आश्रम, होता आदि चार प्रकारके ऋत्विजोंसे सम्पन्न होनेवाले यज्ञकर्म, चारों वर्ण और चारों विद्याओंका पूर्वोक्त नीतिशास्त्रमें प्रतिपादन किया गया है
sakala-cāturāśramyaṁ cātur-hotraṁ tathaiva ca | cātur-varṇyaṁ tathaivātra cātur-vidyaṁ ca kīrtitam, yudhiṣṭhira |
Bhīṣma disse: “Ó Yudhiṣṭhira, neste ensinamento sobre a política e a reta conduta, foram expostos o conjunto das quatro etapas de vida (āśrama), o sistema sacrificial quádruplo com seus quatro sacerdotes principais (cāturhotra), as quatro ordens sociais (varṇa) e os quatro ramos do saber (vidyā).”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma summarizes that a complete account of dharma and governance includes the integrated framework of society and spirituality: the four stages of life, the sacrificial order with its priestly functions, the four social classes, and the recognized divisions of learning.
In the Shanti Parva dialogue, Bhishma continues instructing King Yudhishthira on rājadharma and nīti, indicating that the prior discourse has already covered the major institutional pillars of Vedic society—āśrama, yajña-priesthood, varṇa, and vidyā.