Shloka 4

Āśrama-dharma and Brahmacarya: Śuka’s Inquiry on Karma and Tyāga (शुक-प्रश्नः कर्मत्यागविवेकश्च)

Devanagari script

आचार्येणाभ्यनुज्ञातश्चतुर्णामेकमा श्रमम्‌ । आविमोक्षाच्छरीरस्य सोडवतिछेद्‌ यथाविधि,तदनन्तर आचार्यकी आज्ञा लेकर चारों आश्रमोंमेंसे किसी एक आश्रममें शास्त्रोक्त विधिके अनुसार जीवनपर्यन्त रहे (अथवा क्रमश: सभी आश्रमोंमें प्रवेश करे)

Transliteration

ācāryeṇābhyanujñātaś caturṇām ekam āśramam | āvimokṣāc charīrasya soḍavatīcched yathāvidhi ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: Having obtained the teacher’s permission, one should enter one of the four āśramas and, in accordance with scriptural rule, live in that discipline until the body is finally laid aside—(or, alternatively, proceed in due order through all the āśramas).

Word by Word

• आचार्येण: by the teacher
• आचार्येण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अभ्यनुज्ञातः: permitted/authorized
• अभ्यनुज्ञातः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-अनु-ज्ञा
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चतुर्णाम्: of the four
• चतुर्णाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आश्रमम्: stage of life (āśrama)
• आश्रमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आ: up to; until
• आ: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ

• विमोक्षात्: until release
• विमोक्षात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमोक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• शरीरस्य: of the body
• शरीरस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• षोडवति: in the sixteenth (year/age)
• षोडवति: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडवत्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• छेत्: should cut off/should sever
• छेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular

• यथा: as; according to
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• विधि: rule; prescribed procedure
• विधि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• ācārya (teacher/preceptor)
• catur-āśrama (the four āśramas)