Shloka 6

Pratyakṣa–Āgama–Ācāra: Doubt, Proof, and the Practice of Dharma (प्रत्यक्ष–आगम–आचारविचारः)

Devanagari script

(भूत्वा पूर्व गृहस्थस्तु पुत्रानृण्यमवाप्य च । कलत्रकार्य संतृप्प कारणात्‌ संत्यजेद्‌ गृहम्‌ ।।

Transliteration

bhūtvā pūrvaṁ gṛhasthas tu putrān ṛṇyam avāpya ca | kalatrakārya-saṁtṛptaḥ kāraṇāt saṁtyajed gṛham ||

avasthāpya mano dhṛtyā vyavasāya-purassaraḥ | nirdhano vā sadāro vā vanavāsāya sa vrajet ||

Translation

Śrī Maheśvara dit : Après avoir d’abord vécu en maître de maison, l’homme doit acquitter la dette envers les ancêtres en engendrant des fils, et mener à terme les devoirs nés de l’épouse et de la vie domestique. Ensuite, afin d’accomplir le dharma, il doit renoncer au foyer. Raffermissant son esprit par la constance et conduit par une résolution ferme, il doit partir pour la demeure des forêts—sans biens et seul, ou accompagné de son épouse—et entrer dans la discipline du vānaprastha, transition éthique voulue des charges du monde vers la pratique spirituelle.

Word by Word

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• पूर्वम्: formerly/first
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• गृहस्थः: householder
• गृहस्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• पुत्रानृण्यम्: freedom from debt through sons (discharge of debt by begetting sons)
• पुत्रानृण्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र-अनृण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप्य: having obtained
• अवाप्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कलत्रकार्य: duties/acts connected with a wife
• कलत्रकार्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलत्र-कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• संतृप्य: having satisfied/fulfilled
• संतृप्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-तृप् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• कारणात्: for the sake of (as a motive/cause)
• कारणात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• संत्यजेत्: should abandon
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), Third, Singular, परस्मैपद

• गृहम्: home/house
• गृहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Maheśvara (Śiva)
• gṛhastha (householder āśrama)
• vānaprastha (forest-dweller āśrama, implied by vanavāsa)
• pitṛ (ancestors, implied by ṛṇa/ṛṇya)
• kalatra (wife)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should follow a staged ethical life: fulfill householder obligations—especially duties to ancestors through progeny and responsibilities connected with marriage—then, with firm resolve, transition to forest-dwelling for the focused pursuit of dharma and spiritual discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrī Maheśvara instructs on the proper progression of the āśrama system, describing when and how a person should leave household life and depart for the forest, either alone and unencumbered or together with his wife, guided by steadiness of mind and determination.