Shloka 1
अपन क्राता बछ। आर: द्विपज्चाशर्दाधिकत्रिशततमो< ध्याय: नारदके द्वारा इन्द्रको उज्छवृत्तिवाले ब्राह्णकी कथा सुनानेका उपक्रम युधिछिर उवाच धर्मा: पितामहेनोक्ता मोक्षधर्माश्रिता: शुभा: | धर्ममाश्रमिणां श्रेष्ठ वक्तुमहति मे भवान्
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—dharmāḥ pitāmahenoktā mokṣadharmāśritāḥ śubhāḥ | dharmam āśramiṇāṃ śreṣṭhaṃ vaktum arhati me bhavān ||
Yudhiṣṭhira thưa: “Bạch Tổ phụ, con đã được nghe những lời dạy cát tường về dharma mà Người đã giảng—những lời dạy nương theo con đường giải thoát. Nay xin Người chỉ dạy cho con pháp tối thượng dành cho những ai sống theo kỷ luật của các āśrama (các giai đoạn đời sống).”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Yudhiṣṭhira requests a hierarchy of dharma: having heard liberation-oriented teachings, he now asks Bhīṣma to state the सर्वोत्तम (highest) dharma specifically for those living within the āśrama system—implying a synthesis of social duty and spiritual aim.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira continues his inquiry to Bhīṣma. After listening to mokṣa-dharma, he turns to practical guidance: which form of conduct is supreme for people committed to the disciplines of the life-stages (student, householder, forest-dweller, renunciant).