Shloka 24

Nārada’s Darśana of Viśvarūpa Nārāyaṇa and the Caturmūrti Doctrine (नारदस्य नारायणदर्शनं चतुर्मूर्तिविचारश्च)

Devanagari script

अनुच्छेदाय लोकानामनुच्छेदाय कर्मणाम्‌ | पूर्वराचरितो धर्मश्नातुराश्रम्यसंकट:,पहलेके विद्वान्‌ लोकमर्यादाकी तथा कर्मपरम्पराकी रक्षा करनेके लिये चारों आश्रमोंसहित वर्णधर्मोका पालन करते थे

Transliteration

Janaka uvāca: anucchedāya lokānām anucchedāya karmaṇām | pūrvar ācārito dharmaḥ śnātur āśramya-saṅkaṭaḥ ||

Translation

Janaka said: For the sake of preventing disruption among people, and for the sake of preventing a break in the continuity of righteous action, the ancients practiced a dharma that had been followed from old—one that, after completing the student’s discipline, entered the demanding course of life through the stages of āśrama. Thus they upheld social order and the inherited stream of duties.

Word by Word

अनुच्छेदायfor the non-destruction/continuance

लोकानाम्of the worlds/people

अनुच्छेदायfor the non-destruction/continuance

कर्मणाम्of actions/rites

पूर्वैःby the former (people/elders)

आचरितःpractised/observed

धर्मःdharma, righteous duty

नnot

आश्रम्यhaving resorted to an āśrama / in the state of an āśrama

संकटःdistressed/afflicted; in difficulty

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janaka

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?

Dharma is upheld by maintaining continuity—preventing social and ritual-moral breakdown—through faithful practice of inherited duties, especially the disciplined progression through the āśramas after completing studentship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janaka explains why earlier sages and learned people followed the established dharma: to protect public order (loka-maryādā) and preserve the ongoing tradition of duties and practices (karma-paramparā), even when that life-path is demanding.