Shloka 12

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

Devanagari script

दान्तो विधेयो हव्यकव्ये<प्रमत्तो हान्नस्य दाता सतत द्विजेभ्य: । अमत्सरी सर्वलिड्ल्‍डप्रदाता वैताननित्यश्व गृहाश्रमी स्यात्‌,गृहस्थाश्रमी पुरुष इन्द्रियोंका संयम करे, गुरुजनों एवं शास्त्रोंकी आज्ञा माने, देवताओं और पितरोंकी तृप्तिके लिये हव्य और कव्य समर्पित करनेमें कभी भूल न होने दे, ब्राह्मणोंको निरन्तर अन्नदान करे, ईर्ष्या-द्वेषसे दूर रहे, अन्य सब आश्रमोंको भोजन देकर उनका पालन-पोषण करता रहे और सदा यज्ञ-यागादिमें लगा रहे

Transliteration

dānto vidheyo havyakavye 'pramatto hānnasya dātā satataṃ dvijebhyaḥ | amatsarī sarvaliṅgapradātā vaitānanityaś ca gṛhāśramī syāt ||

Translation

Disse Bhīṣma: O chefe de família deve manter os sentidos refreados e permanecer obediente aos mais velhos e às injunções das Escrituras. Deve estar sempre vigilante ao oferecer as oblações devidas aos deuses e ao cumprir os ritos ancestrais para os Pitṛs, sem negligência. Deve dar continuamente alimento em caridade aos dvijas, os “nascidos duas vezes”. Livre de inveja e malícia, deve sustentar e nutrir os que seguem os demais modos de vida, provendo-lhes sustento, e permanecer regularmente dedicado aos sacrifícios védicos e aos ritos sagrados—assim se vive a disciplina do āśrama do chefe de família.

Word by Word

दान्तःself-controlled

विधेयःobedient, compliant

हव्यकव्येin (matters of) offerings to gods and ancestors (havis and kavya)

अप्रमत्तःnot negligent, vigilant

अन्नस्यof food; food (as the thing given)

दाताgiver, donor

सततम्always, continually

द्विजेभ्यःto the twice-born (Brahmins)

अमत्सरीfree from envy

सर्वलिङ्गप्रदाताone who gives to all (orders/marks); universal giver

वैताननित्यःregular in Vedic rites (śrauta/vaitāna sacrifices)

चand

गृहाश्रमीa householder (one in the householder-āśrama)

स्यात्should be

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

dvija (twice-born, especially brāhmaṇas)

devas (implied by havya)

Pitṛs (ancestors, implied by kavya)

gṛhastha (householder āśrama)

Vedic sacrifice (vaitāna)

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

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma defines the ideal gṛhastha: disciplined in sense-control and obedience to śāstra and elders, vigilant in divine and ancestral offerings (havya and kavya), generous in feeding the twice-born and supporting other āśramas, and steady in regular Vedic rites—linking personal restraint with social and ritual responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war. Here he outlines practical marks of a righteous householder, emphasizing daily conduct—charity, non-envy, and faithful performance of sacrificial and ancestral duties.