Shloka 2
Brāhmaṇa-Dharma, Āśrama Eligibility, and the Primacy of Rāja-Dharma (Śānti Parva 63)
भीष्म अवाच ब्राह्मणस्य तु चत्वारस्त्वाश्रमा विहिता: प्रभो । वर्णस्तान् नानुवर्तन्ते त्रयो भारतसत्तम
bhīṣma uvāca brāhmaṇasya tu catvāras tv āśramā vihitāḥ prabho | varṇas tān nānuvartante trayo bhāratasattama ||
ภีษมะกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่พระองค์ สำหรับพราหมณ์นั้น อาศรมทั้งสี่ได้ถูกกำหนดไว้โดยแท้; แต่โอ้ผู้ประเสริฐแห่งภารตะ วรรณะอีกสามมิได้ปฏิบัติตามอาศรมเหล่านั้นโดยครบถ้วน.”
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights a normative dharma framework: the four āśramas are explicitly prescribed for Brāhmaṇas, while the other three varṇas are presented as not fully conforming to that complete āśrama scheme—pointing to differences between ideal prescriptions and social practice/eligibility as understood in the discourse.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira. Here he introduces a distinction in varṇāśrama organization, setting up further explanation of duties and life-stages across social orders.