Shloka 47
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
शूद्र: करोति शुश्रूषां वैश्या वै पण्यजीविका: । वयं वधेन जीवाम: कपाल ब्राह्मुणैर्व॒तम्
śūdraḥ karoti śuśrūṣāṃ vaiśyā vai paṇyajīvikāḥ | vayaṃ vadhena jīvāmaḥ kapālaṃ brāhmaṇair vratam ||
یُدھِشٹھِر نے کہا— شودر خدمت سے جیتا ہے، ویشیہ تجارت سے۔ ہم کشتریہ جنگ میں دوسروں کو قتل کر کے روزی چلاتے ہیں؛ اور برہمنوں نے بھیک کے کاسے کو عہد کی طرح اپنی معیشت کا وسیلہ بنا لیا ہے۔
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames livelihood as aligned with varṇa-based duties: service for Śūdras, commerce for Vaiśyas, protection/war for Kṣatriyas (even when it entails killing), and austere dependence (begging-bowl) for Brāhmaṇas. It highlights how dharma is often discussed in terms of socially assigned responsibilities and disciplined restraint.
In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on the customary means of livelihood for the four varṇas. His statement underscores the moral tension of impending conflict by explicitly naming the Kṣatriya’s harsh vocation—living by battle and killing—alongside the contrasting austerity attributed to Brāhmaṇas.