Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कर्म शूद्रे कृषिवैंश्ये दण्डनीतिश्न राजनि । ब्रह्मचर्य तपो मन्त्रा: सत्यं चापि द्विजातिषु

Transliteration

karma śūdre kṛṣi-vaiśye daṇḍanītiś ca rājani | brahmacaryaṁ tapo mantrāḥ satyaṁ cāpi dvijātiṣu ||

Translation

شودر کے لیے محنت اور خدمت، ویش کے لیے کھیتی باڑی اور اس سے وابستہ روزگار، راجا (کشَتریہ) کے لیے قانون کے مطابق دَند نیتی اور حکمرانی، اور دِوِجوں کے لیے برہمچریہ، تپسیا، ویدی منتر اور سچائی—یہی ان کے بنیادی فرائض ہیں۔

Word by Word

• कर्म: work/duty
• कर्म: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• शूद्रे: in/for the Śūdra
• शूद्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कृषि: agriculture
• कृषि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वैश्ये: in/for the Vaiśya
• वैश्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दण्डनीतिः: policy of punishment/governance
• दण्डनीतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्डनीति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• राजनि: in/for the king (ruler)
• राजनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: celibate studentship/continence
• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मन्त्राः: mantras (Vedic formulas)
• मन्त्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• द्विजातिषु: among the twice-born (Brāhmaṇa/Kṣatriya/Vaiśya)
• द्विजातिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

Speaker

उतथ्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Utathya
• Śūdra
• Vaiśya
• Rājan (King/Kṣatriya)
• Dvija (twice-born)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse outlines varṇa-based dharma: each social order is sustained by its characteristic duties—service/work for Śūdra, agriculture for Vaiśya, lawful governance and punishment for the king/Kṣatriya, and for the twice-born the primacy of disciplined conduct, austerity, Vedic study/recitation, and truthfulness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and social stability, the sage Utathya speaks as a teacher, summarizing how different roles in society are meant to function ethically so that order (dharma) is maintained after the devastation of war.