Shloka 13

Kṣātra-dharma as the Public Foundation of Dharma (क्षात्रधर्म-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

अल्पान्तरगतस्यापि दशधर्मगतस्य वा । आश्रमा विहिता: सर्वे वर्जयित्वा निराशिषम्‌

Transliteration

alpāntaragatasyāpi daśadharmagatasya vā | āśramā vihitāḥ sarve varjayitvā nirāśiṣam, pṛthvīnātha! |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“噢，大地之主！即便是那位首陀罗，在清净与行持上与再生族仅余些微差距，或专心奉行十种法德者——除‘无所希求之境’（nirāśiṣa，即出离遁世、弃世）外，一切阿湿罗摩皆为其所许。”

Word by Word

• अल्प: small, little
• अल्प: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प
• Form: neuter, genitive, singular

• अन्तर: difference, interval
• अन्तर: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर
• Form: neuter, genitive, singular

• गतस्य: having gone/attained; being in
• गतस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

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

• दश: ten
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश
• Form: indeclinable (numeral), uninflected, uninflected

• धर्म: dharma; duty/law
• धर्म: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• गतस्य: having entered/abiding in
• गतस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• आश्रमाḥ: stages of life (āśramas)
• आश्रमाḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• विहिताḥ: prescribed, enjoined
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + धा
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• सर्वे: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• वर्जयित्वा: having excluded; excepting
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृज्/वर्ज् (वर्जयति)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive)

• निराशिषम्: one without desires/expectations (i.e., the renunciant)
• निराशिषम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आशिष्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• पृथ्वी: earth
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी
• Form: feminine, genitive, singular

• नाथ: lord; protector
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Pṛthvīnātha (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Śūdra
• Āśramas
• Daśa-dharma
• Nirāśiṣa (renunciant/saṃnyāsa ideal)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches that ethical refinement and disciplined practice of dharma can qualify a Śūdra for recognized life-stages (āśramas), while still excluding the formal renunciant state (nirāśiṣa/saṃnyāsa) in this framework.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on dharma and social-religious order. Here he addresses which āśramas are considered permissible for a Śūdra who has demonstrated high moral conduct and commitment to the ten dharmas.