Shloka 2

Devanagari script

क्रमशस्त्ववधूयैनां तृतीयां वृत्तिमुत्तमाम्‌ । संयोगव्रतखिन्नानां वानप्रस्थाश्रमौकसाम्‌,वत्स! तुम्हारा कल्याण हो। गृहस्थकी इस उत्तम तृतीय वृत्तिकी भी उपेक्षा करके सहधर्मिणीके संयोगसे किये जानेवाले व्रत-नियमोंद्वारा जो खिन्न हो चुके हैं तथा वानप्रस्थ- आश्रमको जिन्होंने अपना आश्रय बना लिया है, सम्पूर्ण लोक और आश्रम जिनके अपने ही स्वरूप हैं, जो विचारपूर्वक व्रत और नियमोंमें प्रवृत्त हैं तथा पवित्र स्थानोंमें निवास करते हैं, ऐसे वनवासी मुनियोंका जो धर्म है, उसे बताता हूँ, सुनो

Transliteration

kramaśas tv avadhūyaināṁ tṛtīyāṁ vṛttim uttamām | saṁyoga-vrata-khinnānāṁ vānaprasthāśramaukāsām, vatsa |

Translation

Bhishma said: “Step by step, having set aside even this excellent ‘third mode of life’ (the householder’s discipline), O dear one, I shall now describe the dharma of those forest-dwelling sages—those who, wearied by vows and restraints undertaken in conjunction with a spouse, have taken refuge in the Vanaprastha stage of life.”

Word by Word

क्रमशःgradually, in order

तुbut, indeed

अवधूयhaving cast off, having discarded

एनाम्this (her/it) (f.)

तृतीयाम्third

वृत्तिम्mode of life, livelihood, conduct

उत्तमाम्best, excellent

संयोग-व्रत-खिन्नानाम्of those wearied by vows connected with conjugal association

वानप्रस्थ-आश्रम-औकसाम्of the dwellers in the vānaprastha-āśrama

वत्सO child/dear one

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Vanaprastha-ashrama

Grihastha (implied as the 'third vṛtti')

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 introduces a transition in dharma-teaching: moving beyond the householder’s disciplined life toward the Vanaprastha ideal, emphasizing gradual renunciation and a shift from conjugal, socially embedded observances to forest-based austerity and contemplation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, instructing his listener (addressed as “vatsa”), signals that he will now explain the duties of Vanaprastha sages—those who have become tired of household vows performed with a spouse and have adopted the forest-dweller stage.