Shloka 4

Gṛhastha-vṛtti and Niyama: Models of Householder Livelihood and Discipline (गृहस्थवृत्ति-नियमाः)

Devanagari script

असंरोधेन भूतानां वृत्तिं लिप्सेत वै द्विज: । सद्भ्य आगतविज्ञान: शिष्ट: शास्त्रविचक्षण:,ब्राह्णण किसी भी जीवको कष्ट न देकर--उसकी जीविकाका हनन न करके अपनी जीविका चलानेकी इच्छा करे। संतोंकी सेवामें रहकर तत्त्वज्ञान प्राप्त करे, सत्पुरुष बने और शास्त्रकी व्याख्या करनेमें कुशल हो

Transliteration

asaṃrodhena bhūtānāṃ vṛttiṃ lipseta vai dvijaḥ | sadbhya āgatavijñānaḥ śiṣṭaḥ śāstravicakṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

قال فياسا: «على الرجل المولود مرتين (دْوِجَ) أن يطلب رزقه من غير أن يعيق الكائنات الحية أو يؤذيها—ومن غير أن يسلبها أسباب معاشها. وبملازمة الأخيار وخدمتهم ينال الفهم الحق، ويصير مهذبًا فاضلًا، ويغدو حاذقًا في تمييز تعاليم الشاسترا وشرحها.»

Word by Word

असंरोधेनby non-obstruction / without hindering

भूतानाम्of living beings

वृत्तिम्livelihood / means of subsistence

लिप्सेतshould desire to obtain

वैindeed

द्विजःa twice-born (brahmin)

सद्भ्यःfrom the good (people/saints)

आगत-विज्ञानःone whose knowledge has been acquired (from them)

शिष्टःwell-conducted / cultured

शास्त्र-विचक्षणःskilled in the scriptures / expert in śāstra

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

dvija (twice-born, Brāhmaṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should earn a living in a way that does not harm or deprive other beings, and should cultivate true knowledge through association with the virtuous, becoming disciplined and competent in understanding and teaching śāstra.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa states a normative guideline for a dvija’s conduct: non-injurious livelihood, learning from the good, and developing the capacity to interpret and communicate scriptural wisdom.