Shloka 20
Cāturāśramya-dharma—Marks of the Four Āśramas (चातुराश्रम्यधर्मः)
अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधो वृत्तिदायानुपालनम् | भरणं पुत्रदाराणां शौचमद्रोह एव च
ahiṃsā satyam akrodho vṛttidāyānupālanam | bharaṇaṃ putradārāṇāṃ śaucam adroha eva ca ||
Indra said: Non-violence, truthfulness, freedom from anger, safeguarding what has been allotted for one’s livelihood and one’s rightful share (including inherited property), supporting one’s wife and children, maintaining purity outwardly and inwardly, and renouncing malice—these constitute the common dharma binding upon all.
इन्द्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines a set of universal ethical duties: non-violence, truth, freedom from anger, protecting one’s rightful livelihood and inheritance, supporting one’s family, maintaining purity, and abandoning malice—presented as dharma applicable to all.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct, Indra speaks as an authoritative teacher, listing foundational virtues and household responsibilities as a concise statement of common dharma.