Shloka 3

त्रिवर्गविचारः

Tri-varga Deliberation: Dharma, Artha, Kāma

Devanagari script

महानयं धर्मपथो बहुशाखश्न भारत | किंस्विदेवेह धर्माणामनुछ्ठेयतमं मतम्‌

Transliteration

mahān ayaṃ dharmapatho bahuśākhaś ca bhārata | kiṃ svid eveha dharmāṇām anuṣṭheyatamaṃ matam ||

Translation

யுதிஷ்டிரன் கூறினான்—ஓ பாரதா! தர்மத்தின் இப்பாதை மிகப் பெரிது; பல கிளைகளைக் கொண்டது. இவ்வுலகில் தர்மங்களுள் எது மிகச் சிறப்பாகக் கடைப்பிடிக்க வேண்டியது என்று கருதப்படுகிறது?

Word by Word

महान्great

अयम्this

धर्मपथःpath of dharma

बहुशाखःhaving many branches

नnot

भारतO Bharata

किम्what?

स्वित्indeed / I wonder

एवjust / indeed

इहhere (in this world/teaching)

धर्माणाम्of dharmas / of duties

अनुष्ठेयतमम्most to be practiced

मतम्opinion / view

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Bhārata

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?

The verse frames dharma as vast and multi-branched, and raises the central ethical problem of prioritization: among many legitimate duties, which is the most essential to practice in lived life.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction setting, Yudhiṣṭhira—seeking clarity after the war—asks his teacher/interlocutor to identify the foremost practicable dharma amid the many forms and branches of righteous conduct.