Shloka 27

पाण्डोः श्राद्धं, सत्यवत्याः वनगमनम्, बाल्यस्पर्धा च

Pāṇḍu’s Śrāddha, Satyavatī’s Withdrawal, and Childhood Rivalry

Devanagari script

अन्येडपि ह्यश्रमा: सन्ति ये शक्‍्या भरतर्षभ । आवाभ्यां धर्मपत्नीभ्यां सह तप्तुं तपो महत्‌,“भरतश्रेष्ठ! संन्यासके सिवा और भी तो आश्रम हैं, जिनमें आप हम धर्मपत्नियोंके साथ रहकर भारी तपस्या कर सकते हैं

Transliteration

anye 'pi hy āśramāḥ santi ye śakyā bharatarṣabha | āvābhyāṃ dharmapatnībhyāṃ saha taptuṃ tapo mahat ||

Translation

Sie sprachen: „O Stier unter den Bharatas, außer dem saṃnyāsa gibt es auch andere āśramas — Lebensweisen, in denen man große Askese üben kann, während du mit uns, deinen rechtmäßigen Gattinnen nach dem Dharma, zusammenlebst.“

Word by Word

अन्येother

अपिalso/even

हिindeed/for

आश्रमाःstages of life/āśramas

सन्तिare/exist

येwhich/that (those)

शक्याःpossible/feasible

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

आवाभ्याम्by us two

धर्मपत्नीभ्याम्by (your) two lawful wives

सहtogether with

तप्तुम्to perform (austerity)

तपःausterity/penance

महत्great

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bharatarṣabha (addressed person, a Bharata prince/king)

dharmapatnī (lawful wives)

āśrama (stages of life)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes that profound spiritual discipline (tapas) is not confined to saṃnyāsa (formal renunciation). Other āśramas—especially life within dharma, including marriage—can also be legitimate settings for great austerity and ethical self-cultivation.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker (Vaiśampāyana, narrating) conveys a plea or counsel addressed to a Bharata noble: rather than choosing solitary renunciation, he is reminded that there are other recognized life-stages in which he can pursue intense spiritual practice while remaining with his lawful wives.