Shanti Parva Adhyaya 66 Shloka 1 - Mahabharata | Chinese | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 1

Cāturāśramya-dharma—Marks of the Four Āśramas (चातुराश्रम्यधर्मः)

Devanagari script

अफड---रू- पज्चषष्टितमो< ध्याय: इन्द्ररूपधारी विष्णु और मान्धाताका संवाद इन्द्र उवाच एवंवीर्य: सर्वधर्मोपपन्न: क्षात्र: श्रेष्ठ: सर्वधर्मेषु धर्म: । पाल्यो युष्माभिलोंकहितैरुदारै- विंपर्यये स्पादभव: प्रजानाम्‌

Transliteration

indra uvāca | evaṁvīryaḥ sarvadharmopapannaḥ kṣātraḥ śreṣṭhaḥ sarvadharmeṣu dharmaḥ | pālyo yuṣmābhir lokahitair udārair viparyaye syād abhavaḥ prajānām ||

Translation

因陀罗说道：“大王，如此，刹帝利之法（kṣātra-dharma）——武士之道——威力宏大，被宣称为诸法之首，具足一切辅德。故而，像你这般高贵而以天下为念之人，当恒常奉持此刹帝利之法。若使之颠倒或废弛，百姓必至倾覆。”

Word by Word

इन्द्रःIndra

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

वीर्यःpower, strength

सर्वधर्मोपपन्नःendowed with all dharmas

क्षात्रःthe kshatriya (duty/order)

श्रेष्ठःbest, foremost

सर्वधर्मेषुamong all dharmas

धर्मःdharma, duty

पाल्यःto be protected/observed

युष्माभिःby you (pl.)

लोकहितैःbeneficial to the world

उदारैःnoble, generous

विपर्ययेin the opposite case, otherwise

स्यात्would be

अभावःnon-existence, destruction

प्रजानाम्of the subjects/people

Speaker

इन्द्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Indra

a king (rājan)

prajā (the subjects/people)

kṣātra-dharma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that kṣātra-dharma (royal/warrior duty) is foremost because it safeguards social order: a ruler must actively uphold protection, justice, and public welfare; neglect of this duty leads to the ruin of the people.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra addresses a king, urging him to maintain kṣātra-dharma for the sake of lokahita (public good). The statement frames kingship as a moral responsibility: when royal duty is inverted or abandoned, the subjects suffer destruction.