Shloka 2
Yayāti’s Renunciation: The Allegory of the He-Goat and She-Goat
शृणु भार्गव्यमूं गाथां मद्विधाचरितां भुवि । धीरा यस्यानुशोचन्ति वने ग्रामनिवासिन: ॥ २ ॥
śṛṇu bhārgavy amūṁ gāthāṁ mad-vidhācaritāṁ bhuvi dhīrā yasyānuśocanti vane grāma-nivāsinaḥ
My beloved Bhārgavī, daughter of Śukrācārya, hear this gāthā about the life of someone in this world just like me. Hearing of such a householder’s course, even sober souls dwelling in the forest lament.
Persons who live in the village or town are called grāma-nivāsī, and those who live in the forest are called vana-vāsī or vānaprastha. The vānaprasthas, who have retired from family life, generally lament about their past family life because it engaged them in trying to fulfill lusty desires. Prahlāda Mahārāja said that one should retire from family life as soon as possible, and he described family life as the darkest well ( hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpam ). If one continuously or permanently concentrates on living with his family, he should be understood to be killing himself. In the Vedic civilization, therefore, it is recommended that one retire from family life at the end of his fiftieth year and go to vana, the forest. When he becomes expert or accustomed to forest life, or retired life as a vānaprastha, he should accept sannyāsa. Vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta. Sannyāsa means accepting unalloyed engagement in the service of the Lord. Vedic civilization therefore recommends four different stages of life — brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. One should be very much ashamed of remaining a householder and not promoting oneself to the two higher stages, namely vānaprastha and sannyāsa.
FAQs
This verse indicates that certain worldly deeds become so tragic that even sober, self-controlled people feel sorrow when hearing them—showing the gravity of karma and the need for dharmic discernment.
The speaker directly addresses “Bhārgava” (a descendant of Bhṛgu), indicating an honored hearer—often a sage—invited to listen to a morally significant narration.
Before acting, consider whether your choices could become a cautionary tale; cultivate steadiness (dhīratā) and choose dharma so that your life story inspires, not sorrow.