Shloka 34
Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)
यं च कज्चिद् द्विजातीनां शूद्र: शुश्रूषुराव्रजेत्
yaṃ ca kaścid dvijātīnāṃ śūdraḥ śuśrūṣur āvrajet
Bhīṣma nói: “Và nếu có một Śūdra nào, với lòng kính cẩn muốn phụng sự, đến gần một người thuộc hàng ‘hai lần sinh’ (Bà-la-môn, Sát-đế-lỵ, hay Phệ-xá)…”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic scenario in which a Śūdra, motivated by śuśrūṣā (respectful service and attendance), approaches a member of the twice-born classes; it introduces norms of conduct centered on service, humility, and social duty.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he begins a conditional statement about a Śūdra who approaches a dvijāti with the intention to serve, setting up the rule or consequence that follows in the subsequent verse(s).