Shloka 1

दानपात्रापात्र-निर्णयः / Determining Worthy Gifts, Recipients, and Permissible Food

Devanagari script

ऑपन--#ह-< बक। ] अि्शशाड< ३-“लेष्मातकके वैद्यकमें अनेक नाम आये हैं

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | śrotum icchāmi bhagavan vistareṇa mahāmune | rājadharmān dvijaśreṣṭha cāturvarṇyasya cākhilān ||

Translation

尤提士提罗说道：“噢，尊者，噢，大圣仙，二次生者中最殊胜者——我愿详尽聆听王道之责，以及四种社会阶序的一切本分。”

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Infinitive (Tumun)

• इच्छामि: I desire
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, First, Singular

• भगवन्: O Blessed one / O Lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महामुने: O great sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• राजधर्मान्: duties of a king / royal duties
• राजधर्मान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of the twice-born
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजश्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य: of the fourfold social order (four varṇas)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्वर्ण्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

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

• अखिलान्: all, entire
• अखिलान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

युधिषछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames dharma as something to be learned systematically: Yudhiṣṭhira seeks a comprehensive account of rājadharma (ethical governance) together with the broader framework of duties across the four varṇas, implying that just rule is grounded in an ordered moral and social understanding.

What is happening in the narrative?

At the start of this section in Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira formally petitions the revered teacher-sage to explain, in detail, the principles of kingship and the complete set of social duties—setting up an extended instructional discourse on governance and dharma.