Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)
सकल चातुराश्रम्यं चातुहोंत्रं तथैव च । चातुर्वर्ण्य तथैवात्र चातुर्विद्यं च कीर्तितम्
sakala-cāturāśramyaṁ cātur-hotraṁ tathaiva ca | cātur-varṇyaṁ tathaivātra cātur-vidyaṁ ca kīrtitam, yudhiṣṭhira |
毗湿摩说道:“尤提士提罗啊,在这关于政道与正行的教诲中,四住期(āśrama)的全体制度、具四大祭司的四分祭仪(cāturhotra)、四姓(varṇa),以及四种学科(vidyā),皆已宣说。”
भीष्म उवाच
Bhishma summarizes that a complete account of dharma and governance includes the integrated framework of society and spirituality: the four stages of life, the sacrificial order with its priestly functions, the four social classes, and the recognized divisions of learning.
In the Shanti Parva dialogue, Bhishma continues instructing King Yudhishthira on rājadharma and nīti, indicating that the prior discourse has already covered the major institutional pillars of Vedic society—āśrama, yajña-priesthood, varṇa, and vidyā.