Shloka 1

Varṇāśrama-ācāra and Vikarma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry on Safe Dharmas (शिवधर्मप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

अपर - पूर्णपात्रका परिमाण इस प्रकार है--आठ मुदठ्ठी अन्नको 'किंचित” कहते हैं

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca |

āśramāṇāṃ mahābāho śṛṇu satyaparākrama |

caturṇām api nāmāni karmāṇi ca yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Hỡi Yudhiṣṭhira, bậc dũng sĩ tay mạnh, người có uy dũng đặt nền trên chân thật—nay hãy lắng nghe. Ta sẽ nói cho con biết danh xưng của bốn āśrama (bốn giai đoạn đời sống) và những bổn phận thuộc về từng giai đoạn.”

Word by Word

• आश्रमाणाम्: of the āśramas (stages of life)
• आश्रमाणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• शृणु: hear (listen)
• शृणु: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सत्यपराक्रम: O one whose valor is true (steadfast in prowess)
• सत्यपराक्रम: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्यपराक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• चतुर्णाम्: of the four
• चतुर्णाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• कर्माणि: duties/acts
• कर्माणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Āśramas (four life-stages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma introduces a structured account of āśrama-dharma: the four life-stages and the specific duties (karmāṇi) appropriate to each, presenting dharma as an ordered, role-based discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to the newly enthroned Yudhishthira, Bhishma begins a new section by inviting him to listen as he enumerates the four āśramas and explains their respective obligations.