Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

विशेषेण च वक्ष्यामि चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य लिड्ल्‍भत: । पज्चभूतशरीराणां सर्वेषां सदृशात्मनाम्‌

Transliteration

viśeṣeṇa ca vakṣyāmi cāturvarṇyasya lakṣaṇataḥ | pañcabhūtaśarīrāṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ sadṛśātmanām ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“现在我将特别说明四姓制度的界定之相。众人之身，虽分为婆罗门、刹帝利、吠舍与首陀罗，却同由五大所成，其内在之我（真我）亦无差别。然而在世间职责与各自特定义务上设立区分，为的是使一切众生依其本分之达摩而行，终能再归一体。”

Word by Word

• विशेषेण: in particular, especially
• विशेषेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall speak / I will explain
• वक्ष्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य: of the fourfold varṇa-system
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्वर्ण्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• लिङ्गम्: mark, characteristic, definition
• लिङ्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पञ्चभूतशरीराणाम्: of those whose bodies are (made of) the five elements
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चभूतशरीर
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• सदृशात्मनाम्: of those having similar/same Self
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृशात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• cāturvarṇya (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra)
• pañcabhūta

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma emphasizes that all four varṇas share the same elemental bodily constitution and the same ātman; differences in prescribed duties are functional and ethical—meant to guide people through svadharma toward a higher unity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues his discourse on dharma, announcing that he will describe the specific characteristics of the four varṇas while grounding the discussion in the shared nature of body (pañcabhūta) and Self (ātman).