Shloka 33

चत्वारोऽाश्रमाः — ब्रह्मचर्यादि मोक्षाश्रमपर्यन्तम्

The Four Āśramas as a graded path to mokṣa

Devanagari script

मोक्षाश्रमं यश् चरते यथोक्तं शुचिः स्वसंकल्पितबुद्धियुक्तः अनिन्धनं ज्योतिर् इव प्रशान्तः स ब्रह्मलोकं श्रयते द्विजातिः

Transliteration

mokṣāśramaṃ yaś carate yathoktaṃ śuciḥ svasaṃkalpitabuddhiyuktaḥ anindhanaṃ jyotir iva praśāntaḥ sa brahmalokaṃ śrayate dvijātiḥ

Translation

That twice-born who lives the discipline of the Mokṣa-āśrama exactly as it is taught—pure in conduct, with a mind made steady by right resolve—becomes calm like a flame that burns without fuel; and such a one attains refuge in Brahmaloka.

Word by Word

• मोक्ष-आश्रमम्: the stage of liberation (renunciate order)
• मोक्ष-आश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी: 'मोक्षस्य आश्रमः')

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धि-सर्वनाम

• चरते: practises
• चरते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यथा-उक्तम्: as prescribed
• यथा-उक्तम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, वच्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial: 'as stated')

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (dvijātiḥ/sa)

• स्व-संकल्पित-बुद्धि-युक्तः: endowed with a mind fixed by his own resolve
• स्व-संकल्पित-बुद्धि-युक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + संकल्पित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, सम्+कॢप्/कॢप्त) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, युज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (बहुपद); विशेषण

• अनिन्धनम्: without fuel
• अनिन्धनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- (उपसर्ग/नञ्) + इन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (jyotiḥ)

• ज्योतिः: light/flame
• ज्योतिः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपमान-प्रयोगे

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (particle of comparison)

• प्रशान्तः: calm/quenched
• प्रशान्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र+शम् (धातु) → प्रशान्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्म-लोकम्: Brahma-world
• ब्रह्म-लोकम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी: 'ब्रह्मणः लोकः')

• श्रयते: attains/resorts to
• श्रयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रि (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• द्विजातिः: the twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजातिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारय: 'twice-born')

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Fruit of mokṣāśrama discipline and the destiny (loka) attained by the purified renunciant

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: By living mokṣāśrama with purity and resolute steadiness, one becomes tranquil like a fuel-less flame and attains Brahmaloka.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Stabilize resolve through daily vows (saṅkalpa), ethical consistency, and contemplative practice that reduces dependence on external stimulation.

Vishishtadvaita: Attainment is by disciplined purity and God-oriented steadiness; the ‘loka’ goal implies graded liberation compatible with Vishishtadvaita’s structured soteriology (archirādi/krama-mukti streams in later tradition).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brahmaloka
• Dvijāti (twice-born renunciate)

FAQs

What is the significance of Mokṣāśrama in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Mokṣāśrama as a precise, rule-guided renunciate discipline where purity and firm resolve culminate in profound inner stillness and attainment of Brahmaloka.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the mark of a true renunciate here?

Parāśara characterizes the authentic practitioner as śuci (pure) and buddhi-yukta (mentally disciplined), whose calm is compared to a flame that needs no fuel—suggesting freedom from sensory and egoic supports.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching aligns with Vaishnava order: liberation is approached through dharma and inner purification, ultimately oriented toward the Supreme Reality upheld by Vishnu as the ground of cosmic law and final refuge.