Shloka 8

चत्वारोऽाश्रमाः — ब्रह्मचर्यादि मोक्षाश्रमपर्यन्तम्

The Four Āśramas as a graded path to mokṣa

Devanagari script

विधिनावाप्तदारस् तु धनं प्राप्य स्वकर्मणा गृहस्थकार्यम् अखिलं कुर्याद् भूपाल शक्तितः

Transliteration

vidhināvāptadāras tu dhanaṃ prāpya svakarmaṇā gṛhasthakāryam akhilaṃ kuryād bhūpāla śaktitaḥ

Translation

O King, one who has, according to sacred rule, obtained a lawful wife and gained wealth through his own rightful work should, in due order and to the extent of his capacity, perform the entire range of a householder’s duties.

Word by Word

• विधिना: by rule/according to injunction
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अवाप्त-दारः: one who has obtained a wife (married)
• अवाप्त-दारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अवाप्ताः दाराः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (contrastive particle)

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having obtained’

• स्वकर्मणा: by his own work
• स्वकर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वस्य कर्मणा), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गृहस्थ-कार्यम्: householder duties
• गृहस्थ-कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गृहस्थस्य कार्यम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अखिलम्: entire/all
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to गृहस्थकार्यम्)

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भूपाल: O king
• भूपाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative) विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शक्तितः: according to (his) capacity
• शक्तितः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित/अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb), ‘according to ability’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; addressing a kingly ideal as 'bhūpāla')

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Gṛhastha-dharma: lawful marriage, righteous livelihood, and performing duties according to capacity

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative, socially integrative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Householder duties—rooted in lawful marriage and righteous work—sustain social harmony and constitute implicit service to Vishnu when done by rule and measure.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Treat work, family care, charity, and ritual obligations as disciplined offering; act within capacity (śakti) without neglect or excess.

Vishishtadvaita: Immanence of the Lord in worldly order: ordinary gṛhastha karma becomes worship when aligned with śāstra, supporting Vishnu as inner ruler (antaryāmin) of society.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Kings

FAQs

What is the significance of gṛhastha-dharma in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames the householder stage as the practical pillar of social and cosmic order: lawful marriage, honest earnings, and the full performance of duties—done within one’s means—uphold dharma.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the right way to undertake household responsibilities?

He links eligibility to two foundations—marriage according to śāstra and wealth gained through one’s own proper work—and then instructs that all householder duties be carried out proportionately, ‘according to ability’ (śaktitaḥ).

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

Even without naming Vishnu directly, the verse reflects the Purana’s core idea that performing prescribed duty (svakarma) in an ordered life is a mode of serving the Supreme Reality who sustains the universe.