Shloka 12

Devanagari script

आलम्भयज्ञा: क्षत्राश्न॒ हविर्यज्ञा विश: स्मृता: । परिचारयज्ञा: शूद्राश्षन जपयज्ञा द्विजातय:

Transliteration

ālambhayajñāḥ kṣatrāś ca haviryajñā viśaḥ smṛtāḥ | paricārayajñāḥ śūdrāś ca japayajñā dvijātayaḥ ||

Translation

క్షత్రియులకు ‘ఆలంభ’ లక్షణమైన యజ్ఞం విధించబడింది; వైశ్యులకు హవిస్‌ (ఆహుతి) ప్రధాన యజ్ఞం స్మృతిలో చెప్పబడింది. శూద్రులకు పరిచర్యా-సేవయే యజ్ఞం; ద్విజులకు జపయజ్ఞం నియమించబడింది.

Word by Word

आलम्भयज्ञाःsacrifices involving animal-offering (ālambha)

क्षत्राःKshatriyas

हविर्यज्ञाःoblational sacrifices (havis-offerings)

विशःVaishyas

स्मृताःare considered/are said (to be)

परिचारयज्ञाःservice-sacrifices (sacrifices consisting in attendance/service)

शूद्राःShudras

चand

जपयज्ञाःrecitation-sacrifices (sacrifices consisting in japa)

द्विजातयःtwice-born (Brahmins etc.)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Kṣatriya

Vaiśya

Śūdra

Dvijāti (twice-born)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ‘yajña’ (sacrificial duty) broadly, mapping different forms of sacrificial practice to different social duties: martial/ālambha-related rites for Kṣatriyas, oblation-offerings for Vaiśyas, service as a sanctifying duty for Śūdras, and mantra-recitation (japa) as a key sacrificial discipline for the twice-born—emphasizing that dharma can be fulfilled through role-appropriate, ethically framed action.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s dharma-discourse, Vyāsa is presenting a traditional classification of sacrificial obligations, explaining how ‘yajña’ is understood in multiple modes (ritual offering, service, recitation) depending on one’s station and prescribed duties.