Shloka 10

Devanagari script

केचिन्मोक्ष॑ प्रशंसन्ति केचिद्‌ यज्ञफलं द्विजा: । वानप्रस्थाश्रया: केचिद्‌ गार्हस्थ्यं केचिदास्थिता:,कोई द्विज मोक्षकी प्रशंसा करते हैं तो कोई यज्ञफलकी। कोई वानप्रस्थ-धर्मका आश्रय लेते हैं तो कोई गार्हस्थ्य-धर्मका

Transliteration

kecin mokṣaṁ praśaṁsanti kecid yajñaphalaṁ dvijāḥ | vānaprasthāśrayāḥ kecid gārhasthyaṁ kecid āsthitāḥ ||

Translation

Der Brahmane sprach: „Manche preisen Moksha, die Befreiung; andere, o Zweimalgeborene, rühmen die Früchte des Opfers (yajña). Einige nehmen Zuflucht in der Disziplin des Waldbewohners (vānaprastha), andere bleiben im Lebensweg des Hausvaters (gṛhastha) verankert.“

Word by Word

केचित्some (people)

मोक्षम्liberation

प्रशंसन्तिpraise

केचित्some (others)

यज्ञफलम्the fruit/result of sacrifice

द्विजाःBrahmins / twice-born

वानप्रस्थाश्रयाःthose who take refuge in the forest-dweller (vānaprastha) mode

केचित्some (others)

गार्हस्थ्यम्householder life/duty

केचित्some (others)

आस्थिताःhaving adopted / resorted to

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

brāhmaṇa (speaker)

dvijāḥ (twice-born persons)

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?

The verse highlights the plurality of dharmic aims and disciplines: some prioritize mokṣa (liberation), others pursue ritual action for its meritorious results, and people align themselves with different āśramas (householder or forest-dweller). It frames a discussion on how varied paths are advocated within the tradition.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa speaker is describing the diversity of viewpoints among the twice-born regarding the highest good and proper conduct—contrasting praise of liberation with praise of sacrificial rewards, and noting differing commitments to the gṛhastha and vānaprastha stages.