Shloka 10

Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)

Devanagari script

त॑ चेद्‌ द्विजमुपागच्छेद्‌ वर्तमानं स्वकर्मणि । अकुर्वाणं विकर्माणि शान्तं प्रज्ञानतर्पितम्‌

Transliteration

taṁ ced dvijam upāgacched vartamānaṁ svakarmaṇi | akurvāṇaṁ vikarmāṇi śāntaṁ prajñāna-tarpitam ||

Translation

หากผู้ใดเข้าไปหา “ทวิชะ” ผู้ตั้งมั่นอยู่ในหน้าที่ของตน ไม่กระทำกรรมต้องห้าม สงบระงับ และมีปัญญาอิ่มเอมด้วยความรู้—ผู้นั้นพึงนับว่าเป็นผู้ควรเข้าเฝ้าและควรรับคำสั่งสอน

Word by Word

तत्him/that (person)

चेत्if

द्विजम्a brahmin (twice-born)

उपागच्छेत्should approach

वर्तमानम्being engaged/abiding

स्वकर्मणिin his own duty/work

अकुर्वाणम्not doing

विकर्माणिforbidden/wrong acts

शान्तम्calm, peaceful

प्रज्ञानतर्पितम्satiated/content with wisdom

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

dvija

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A person becomes worthy of approach and learning when he is steady in his own prescribed duty (svadharma), avoids prohibited conduct (vikarma), remains tranquil, and is inwardly fulfilled by wisdom rather than by restless desire.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he describes the marks of a disciplined ‘dvija’—a model of ethical steadiness and wisdom—implying such a person is fit to be sought out for guidance.