Shloka 15

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

Devanagari script

भरणं पुत्रदाराणां वेदानां धारणं तथा । वसतामाश्रमं श्रेष्ठ वदन्ति परमर्षय:

Transliteration

bharaṇaṃ putradārāṇāṃ vedānāṃ dhāraṇaṃ tathā | vasatām āśramaṃ śreṣṭha vadanti paramarṣayaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma disse: “Os mais altos sábios declaram que dois deveres são os primeiros: sustentar os filhos e a esposa com amparo justo, e preservar os Vedas por meio do estudo e da guarda. Para os que vivem a disciplina de um āśrama, estes são louvados como os melhores alicerces da conduta.”

Word by Word

• भरणम्: maintenance/support
• भरणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पुत्रदाराणाम्: of sons and wives
• पुत्रदाराणाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रदार
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• वेदानाम्: of the Vedas
• वेदानाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• धारणम्: bearing/retention (memorization, upholding)
• धारणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: and also/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• वसताम्: of those dwelling (living)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural, Present active participle (शतृ)

• आश्रमम्: hermitage/āśrama
• आश्रमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• श्रेष्ठ: O best (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• वदन्ति: say/declare
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• परमर्षयः: the supreme sages
• परमर्षयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• paramarṣayaḥ (highest sages)
• Vedas
• āśrama (orders/stages of life)
• sons
• wife

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is grounded in responsibility and continuity: one must sustain dependents (especially in the householder context) and also uphold the Vedas through learning, remembrance, and faithful transmission.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma addresses the listener as “O best one” and cites the authority of the highest sages to emphasize key duties for those living within the āśrama framework.