Shloka 6

Kṣātra-Dharma, Daṇḍanīti, and Social Order

Indra–Māndhātṛ Dialogue

Devanagari script

धर्माश्रमे5 ध्यवसिनां ब्राह्मणानां युधिष्ठिर । यथा त्रयाणां वर्णानां संख्यातोपश्रुति: पुरा

Transliteration

dharmāśrame 'dhyavasināṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ yudhiṣṭhira | yathā trayāṇāṃ varṇānāṃ saṃkhyātopaśrutiḥ purā ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: Hỡi Yudhishthira, như truyền thống có thẩm quyền xưa kia từng dạy rằng bổn phận của ba varṇa, theo một cách tính nhất định, được quy tụ vào dharma của kshatriya, thì cũng vậy, bổn phận của các Bà-la-môn an trú trong ba āśrama—người học trò giữ phạm hạnh do tự nguyện, kẻ ở rừng, và bậc xuất ly—đều được bao hàm trong giai đoạn gia chủ. Vì thế, đời sống gia chủ được nêu như trung tâm nâng đỡ và dung hợp các kỷ luật khác.

Word by Word

• धर्माश्रमे: in the dharma-āśrama (i.e., in the gṛhastha-āśrama as the locus of dharma)
• धर्माश्रमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्माश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अध्यवसिनाम्: of those who are settled/abiding (in it)
• अध्यवसिनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अध्यवस् (धातु) → अध्यवसिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

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

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• त्रयाणाम्: of the three
• त्रयाणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वर्णानाम्: of the varṇas (social classes)
• वर्णानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• संख्यात: declared/said/recognized
• संख्यात: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संख्या (धातु/प्रातिपदिक) → संख्यात (कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• उपश्रुतिः: a traditional report/teaching (heard tradition)
• उपश्रुतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपश्रुति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरा: formerly, in olden times
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira
• Brahmins (brāhmaṇāḥ)
• Three varṇas (trayāṇāṃ varṇānām)
• Kshatriya-dharma (implied by the gloss)
• Three āśramas: naiṣṭhika-brahmacarya, vānaprastha, yati/saṃnyāsa
• Gārhasthya (householder āśrama)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts a hierarchical integration of duties: the householder stage (gārhasthya) is portrayed as the comprehensive support-system in which the disciplines and obligations of other āśramas (lifelong student, forest-dweller, renunciant) are, in effect, included—because society, ritual economy, and the maintenance of dharma depend upon householders.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma after the war, Bhishma continues advising King Yudhishthira. Here he cites older authoritative teaching (upaśruti) to explain how duties are classified and supported, emphasizing the centrality of the householder’s role in sustaining the broader religious-social order.