Shloka 99
Atithi-prāpti and the Brāhmaṇa’s Deliberation on Triadic Dharma (अतिथिप्राप्तिः धर्मत्रयविचारश्च)
यज्ञेष्वग्रहर: प्रोक्तो यज्ञधारी च नित्यदा । निवृत्तिं चास्थितो धर्म गतिमक्षयधर्मिणाम् | प्रवृत्तिधर्मान् विदधे कृत्वा लोकस्य चित्रताम्
yajñeṣv agraharaḥ prokto yajñadhārī ca nityadā | nivṛttiṁ cāsthito dharmaṁ gatim akṣayadharmiṇām || pravṛttidharmān vidadhe kṛtvā lokasya citratām |
यज्ञेष्वग्रहरः प्रोक्तो यज्ञधारी च नित्यदा। निवृत्तिं चास्थितो धर्मं गतिमक्षयधर्मिणाम्॥ प्रवृत्तिधर्मान् विदधे कृत्वा लोकस्य चित्रताम्।
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a twofold framework of dharma: nivṛtti (withdrawal/renunciation) for those oriented to imperishable spiritual attainment, and pravṛtti (engaged action) for sustaining social and worldly order. The same divine principle upholds both, according to the needs and varied temperaments of beings.
Vyāsa describes the supreme upholder of yajña and dharma as alternately establishing renunciant and active modes of righteousness. The point is explanatory and doctrinal: it justifies why scripture and tradition contain both paths—retreat from action and regulated action—depending on context and capacity.