धर्माः पितामहेनोक्ता राजधर्माश्रिताः शुभाः । धर्ममाश्रमिणां श्रेष्ठं वक्तुमर्हसि पार्थिव ॥
dharmāḥ pitāmahenoktā rājadharmāśritāḥ śubhāḥ | dharmamāśramiṇāṃ śreṣṭhaṃ vaktumarhasi pārthiva ||
Yudhishthira said: Grandfather, you have told the auspicious duties that belong to kingship. Now, O king, please tell me the highest dharma for those who live in the stages of life.
युधिष्ठिर ने कहा: पितामह, आपने राजधर्म से जुड़े शुभ धर्म बता दिए। अब हे राजन्, आश्रमों में रहने वालों का श्रेष्ठ धर्म भी बताइए।
Meaning today and contextआज के लिए अर्थ और संदर्भ
After learning how to run a kingdom, Yudhishthira asks the deeper question: what is best for a human life as such? Duties of a role are not the whole of life.
राज्य चलाने की बातें जानने के बाद युधिष्ठिर गहरा प्रश्न पूछते हैं: मनुष्य के जीवन के लिए सबसे श्रेष्ठ क्या है? किसी पद के कर्तव्य ही पूरा जीवन नहीं हैं।
Mahabharata 12.168.1, the opening of the Mokshadharma: Yudhishthira tells Bhishma that he has heard the duties of kings and now asks for the highest dharma of those in the stages of life (ashramas).