Shloka 44

भृगु–भरद्वाजसंवादः: वर्णभेदस्य कर्माधारितव्याख्या

Bhrigu–Bharadvaja Dialogue: A Karma-Based Account of Varṇa

Devanagari script

ये केचन स्वध्ययना: प्राप्ता यजनयाजनम्‌ | कथं ते चानुशोचेयुर्थ्यायेयुवाप्पशो भनम्‌ । इच्छन्तस्ते विहाराय सुखं महदवाप्लुयु:

Transliteration

ye kecana svādhyayanāḥ prāptā yajanayājanam | kathaṃ te cānuśoceyur dhyāyeyur vāpaśobhanam | icchantas te vihārāya sukhaṃ mahad avāpnuyuḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: “Những Bà-la-môn chuyên tâm học Veda, tự mình cử hành tế lễ và cũng chủ tế cho người khác—cớ sao họ phải rơi vào lo âu hay than khóc? Sao họ lại dung chứa những ý nghĩ hèn kém như tự hủy hoại mình? Nếu họ muốn, bằng cách sống trong ‘niềm tiêu dao’ thanh tịnh của tế lễ và các bổn phận thiêng liêng, họ có thể đạt được hạnh phúc lớn lao.”

Word by Word

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• केचन: some
• केचन: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क (प्रातिपदिक) + चित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्वाध्ययनाः: students of self-study / devoted to Vedic study
• स्वाध्ययनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्ययन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्राप्ताः: having attained / endowed with
• प्राप्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यजन: sacrificing (performing sacrifice)
• यजन: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज् (धातु) → यजन (भाव/कर्मन्-नाम)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• याजनम्: causing to sacrifice (officiating for others)
• याजनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज् (धातु) → याजन (णिच्/भाव-नाम)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कथम्: how / why
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• अनुशोचेयुः: would grieve / should lament
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-शुच् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• अथ: then / moreover
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• आयेयुः: would go / would resort
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• उपपशोभनम्: to something improper/ugly (lit. not becoming)
• उपपशोभनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपपशोभन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छन्तः: wishing / desiring
• इच्छन्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष् (धातु) → इच्छत् (शतृ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विहाराय: for recreation / for enjoyment
• विहाराय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विहार
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप्नुयुः: would obtain / could attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Brahmins (brāhmaṇāḥ)
• Veda (implied by svādhyāya)
• Yajña (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that disciplined sacred life—Vedic study (svādhyāya) and sacrificial duty (yajana/yājana)—stabilizes the mind and removes grounds for despair; one who is properly engaged in dharma should not sink into anxiety or entertain ignoble thoughts like self-harm, but can attain great happiness through righteous practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by praising the sustaining power of Brahminical disciplines. He argues that those absorbed in svādhyāya and yajña have a purposeful, uplifting way of life, making lamentation and self-destructive thinking inappropriate and unnecessary.