Shloka 11

Kṣātra-dharma as the Public Foundation of Dharma (क्षात्रधर्म-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

यश्न त्रयाणां वर्णानामिच्छेदाश्रमसेवनम्‌ । चातुराश्रम्यदृष्टांश्न॒ धर्मास्तान्‌ शृणु पाण्डव

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca: yas triṇāṁ varṇānām icched āśrama-sevanam | cāturāśramya-dṛṣṭāṁś ca dharmās tān śṛṇu pāṇḍava ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—ఓ పాండవా! బ్రాహ్మణ, క్షత్రియ, వైశ్య—ఈ మూడు వర్ణాలు శాస్త్రోక్త విధానమున చతురాశ్రమ ధర్మాచరణ చేయవలెనని రాజు కోరినచో, వినుము. చతురాశ్రమ వ్యవస్థ దృష్ట్యా నాలుగు ఆశ్రమములకు హితకరమైన ధర్మములను నేను వివరించెదను.

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्रयाणाम्: of three
• Type: Numeral/Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वर्णानाम्: of the social classes (varṇas)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• इच्छेत्: should desire / would wish
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• आश्रम-सेवनम्: practice/observance of the āśramas
• आश्रम-सेवनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम-सेवन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चातुराश्रम्य-दृष्टान्: seen/recognized in the system of four āśramas
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चातुराश्रम्य-दृष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• धर्मान्: duties / dharmas
• धर्मान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तान्: those
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• शृणु: hear / listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative (Lot), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पाण्डव: O Pāṇḍava
• Type: Noun (Vocative address)
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पाण्डु-नन्दन: O son of Pāṇḍu
• Type: Noun (Vocative address)
• Root: पाण्डु-नन्दन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• three varṇas (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya)
• four āśramas (brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, saṁnyāsa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king who seeks a stable and righteous realm should ensure that the three varṇas follow scripturally grounded āśrama-duties; Bhishma introduces the general dharmas that support the four-āśrama system as a framework for social and ethical order.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Bhishma continues instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war. Here he signals a transition: he is about to outline the duties relevant to the four āśramas, aimed especially at guiding royal governance and public conduct.