Shloka 86

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

Devanagari script

कामक्रोधौ वशे कृत्वा निनीषेद्‌ ब्रह्मण: पदम्‌ । इस प्रकार पाप धुल जानेपर बुद्धिमान्‌ ब्राह्मण स्वल्पाहार करते हुए इन्द्रियोंको जीते और काम तथा क्रोधको अधीन करके ब्रह्मपदको प्राप्त करनेकी इच्छा करे

Transliteration

kāmakrodhau vaśe kṛtvā ninīṣed brahmaṇaḥ padam |

Translation

Vyāsa said: Having brought desire and anger under control, one should aspire to reach the state of Brahman. Thus, when sin has been washed away, the wise brāhmaṇa—living on little food—should conquer the senses and, mastering lust and wrath, set his will on attaining the supreme Brahman-state.

Word by Word

• कामक्रोधौ: desire and anger
• कामक्रोधौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक), क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• वशे: under control/in subjection
• वशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कृत्वा: having made (having brought)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• निनीषेत्: should wish to lead/should desire to attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) with desiderative stem निनीष-
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahman
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• पदम्: state/position (goal)
• पदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Brahman (brahmaṇaḥ padam)
• brāhmaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Spiritual liberation requires disciplined self-mastery: restrain the senses, practice moderation (especially in food), and subdue desire (kāma) and anger (krodha). With inner impurity removed, one should direct one’s intention toward realizing the Brahman-state (brahmaṇaḥ padam).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Vyāsa articulates a practical ascetic-ethical regimen for a brāhmaṇa-seeker: purification from sin, moderation in living, sensory restraint, and the deliberate subjugation of desire and anger as prerequisites for attaining the highest spiritual goal.