Shanti Parva Adhyaya 181 Shloka 45 - Mahabharata | Sanskrit | Vedapath

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Shloka 45

भृगु–भरद्वाजसंवादः: वर्णभेदस्य कर्माधारितव्याख्या

Bhrigu–Bharadvaja Dialogue: A Karma-Based Account of Varṇa

Devanagari script

उत जाता: सुनक्षत्रे सुतिथौ सुमुहूर्तजा: । यज्ञदानप्रजेहायां यतन्ते शक्तिपूर्वकम्‌

Transliteration

uta jātāḥ sunakṣatre sutithau sumuhūrtajāḥ | yajñadānaprajehāyāṃ yatante śaktipūrvakam ||

Translation

उत जाताः सुनक्षत्रे सुतिथौ सुमुहूर्तजाः। यज्ञदानप्रजेहायां यतन्ते शक्तिपूर्वकम्॥

Word by Word

उतand also / moreover

जाताःborn

सुनक्षत्रेin a good constellation (nakshatra)

सुतिथौon a good lunar day (tithi)

सुमुहूर्तजाःborn at an auspicious moment (muhūrta)

यज्ञsacrifice

दानgift / charity

प्रजेहायाम्in begetting offspring (lit. in the production of progeny here)

यतन्तेthey strive / make effort

शक्तिपूर्वकम्according to (their) capacity; with full ability

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

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?

Auspicious circumstances of birth are presented as conducive to a dharmic life: one should, within one’s means, uphold the householder ideals of sacrifice (yajña), charity (dāna), and righteous continuation of lineage (prajā) through just conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira by describing the conduct of those born at favorable times: they actively pursue ritual duty, generosity, and socially just family life, emphasizing effort aligned with capacity.