Shloka 23

Devanagari script

परं परं तथैवाहुश्नातुराश्रम्यमेव तत्‌ । यथोक्ता नियमास्तेषां सर्व कार्य बुभूषता,इसी प्रकार चारों आश्रम भी उत्तरोत्तर श्रेष्ठ कहे गये हैं। उन आश्रमोंके जो शास्त्रोक्त नियम हैं, उन सबका अपनी उन्नति चाहनेवाले पुरुषको पालन करना चाहिये

Transliteration

paraṁ paraṁ tathaivāhuḥ snātur āśramyam eva tat | yathoktā niyamās teṣāṁ sarva-kārya-bubhūṣatā ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: “Thus they declare the four āśramas to be progressively superior, each succeeding stage higher than the former. Therefore, one who seeks the fulfillment of all aims and duties should observe, as taught in the scriptures, the disciplines prescribed for those stages of life.”

Word by Word

परम्higher/superior (as object of saying)

परम्higher (again; successive superiority)

तथाthus/in that manner

एवindeed/just

आहुःthey say/declare

श्नातुःof the bath-taker (i.e., of the householder/one who has taken the bath)

आश्रम्यम्the (next) āśrama-stage / hermitage-stage

एवindeed/only

तत्that (stage/that one)

यथाas/according to how

उक्ताःstated/declared

नियमाःrules/observances

तेषाम्of them (of those āśramas)

सर्वम्all (entirely)

कार्यम्to be done/that which should be done

बुभूषताby one wishing to become/prosper (i.e., seeking advancement)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

āśrama (the four life-stages)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the four āśramas are viewed as an ascending spiritual-ethical progression, and that one seeking true accomplishment should follow the śāstra-prescribed disciplines (niyamas) appropriate to each stage.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa states a normative principle about āśrama-dharma: the life-stages are ranked as successively higher, and their scriptural rules should be practiced by a person intent on overall welfare and attainment.