Shloka 3
Vidyā–Avidyā and the Twenty-Fifth Principle
Sāṃkhya–Yoga Clarification
गृहाण्याश्रित्य गावश्ष क्षेत्राणि च धनानि च । दारा: पुत्राश्न भृत्याश्न भवन्तीह नरस्य वै,घरका आश्रय लेते ही मनुष्यका गौ, खेती-बारी, धन-दौलत, स्त्री-पुत्र तथा भरण- पोषणके योग्य अन्यान्य कुटुम्बीजनोंसे सम्बन्ध स्थापित हो जाता है
gṛhāṇy āśritya gāvaś ca kṣetrāṇi ca dhanāni ca | dārāḥ putrāś ca bhṛtyāś ca bhavantīha narasya vai ||
Parāśara said: “By taking shelter in a house, a man comes to possess and be connected with cattle, fields, and wealth; and here in this world he also comes to have wife, sons, and dependants/servants. Thus household life becomes the basis from which one’s social and economic ties arise.”
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Household life (gṛhastha) is presented as the practical foundation of worldly relations and responsibilities: once one establishes a home, one naturally acquires property, wealth, and family/dependants, and therefore must act with dharma in sustaining and managing them.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on conduct and life-stages, the sage Parāśara explains how taking up a household becomes the basis for a man’s economic assets and family connections, setting the stage for discussions on duties and ethical living within society.