Shloka 1

ब्राह्मणपूजा-राजधर्मः | Royal Duty of Honoring Learned Brahmins

Devanagari script

ऑपनआक्राा बछ। अकाल त्रिशो&्थ्याय: वीतहव्यके पुत्रोंसे काशी-नरेशोंका घोर युद्ध

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | śrutaṃ me mahad ākhyānam etat kurukulodvaha | suduṣprāpaṃ yad bravīṣi brāhmaṇyaṃ vadatāṃ vara ||

Translation

Юдхиштхира сказал: «О опора рода Куру, о Питамаха, лучший из говорящих! Я выслушал из твоих уст это великое сказание. Но то, что ты утверждаешь — будто для людей иных варн обрести в этом самом теле состояние брахмана (подлинное брахманство) чрезвычайно трудно, — кажется почти недостижимым.»

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• मे: by me / my
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• महत्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• आख्यानम्: narrative, story
• आख्यानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कुरुकुलोद्वह: O foremost of the Kuru lineage
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुकुल + उद्वह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सुदुष्प्रापम्: very difficult to obtain
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुष् + प्राप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• यत्: that which / what
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• ब्रवीषि: you say
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ब्राह्मण्यम्: Brahminhood, the state of being a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मण्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वदताम्: of speakers
• Type: Noun
• Root: वद् (धातु) → वदत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वर: O best
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kuru lineage (Kuru-kula)
• Bhīṣma (implied by the vocatives 'kurukulodvaha', 'vadatāṃ vara')
• Brāhmaṇya (Brahminhood)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharma-question: whether and how 'brāhmaṇya' is attainable, emphasizing that true Brahminhood is not merely a birth-label but a rare, demanding attainment tied to qualities and conduct—hence described as 'suduṣprāpa' (exceedingly difficult).

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing a major illustrative story, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma and reflects on Bhīṣma’s claim that for those of other varṇas, attaining Brahminhood in the same lifetime/body is extremely difficult, prompting further explanation about the nature of brāhmaṇya.