Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

के धर्मा: सर्ववर्णानां चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य के पृथक्‌ चातुर्वर्ण्याश्रमाणां च राजधर्माश्व॒ के मता:,'पितामह! कौन-से ऐसे धर्म हैं, जो सभी वर्णोके लिये उपयोगी हो सकते हैं। चारों वर्णोंके पृथक्‌-पृथक्‌ धर्म कौन-से हैं? चारों वर्णोके साथ ही चारों आश्रमोंके भी धर्म कौन हैं तथा राजाके द्वारा पालन करने योग्य कौन-कौन-से धर्म माने गये हैं?

Transliteration

ke dharmāḥ sarvavarṇānāṃ cāturvarṇyasya ke pṛthak | cāturvarṇyāśramāṇāṃ ca rājadharmāś ca ke matāḥ ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: “O Dakilang Matanda, alin ang mga tungkuling kapaki-pakinabang sa lahat ng varṇa? Ano ang mga natatanging tungkulin ng apat na varṇa? Ano ang mga tungkuling nauukol sa apat na varṇa kasama ng apat na āśrama? At alin ang itinuturing na rājadharma—ang dharma ng hari na dapat niyang itaguyod sa pamamahala?”

Word by Word

केwhich (ones)

धर्माःduties; dharmas

सर्ववर्णानाम्of all varṇas (social classes)

चातुर्वर्ण्यस्यof the fourfold varṇa-system

केwhich (ones)

पृथक्separately; distinct

चातुर्वर्ण्याश्रमाणाम्of the (system of) varṇas and āśramas

चand

राजधर्माःduties of a king; royal duties

चand

केwhich (ones)

मताःconsidered; held to be

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma)

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 a comprehensive inquiry into dharma: universal duties applicable to everyone, role-specific duties of the four varṇas, life-stage duties of the four āśramas, and the special ethical obligations of a king. It sets up a systematic discussion of moral order from personal conduct to public governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Vaiśampāyana reports a question addressed to the Grandsire (Bhīṣma), requesting an authoritative exposition on different layers of dharma—general, varṇa-based, āśrama-based, and royal—preparing for Bhīṣma’s detailed teachings.