Shloka 5

Āśrama-dharma and Brahmacarya: Śuka’s Inquiry on Karma and Tyāga (शुक-प्रश्नः कर्मत्यागविवेकश्च)

Devanagari script

प्रजासर्गेण दारैश्न ब्रह्मचर्येण वा पुन: । वने गुरुसकाशे वा यतिधर्मेण वा पुन:

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | prajāsargeṇa dāraiś ca brahmacaryeṇa vā punaḥ | vane gurusakāśe vā yatidharmeṇa vā punaḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa dit : On peut choisir de soutenir le dharma en entrant dans la vie de maison—prendre épouse et engendrer une descendance—ou bien, encore, garder le brahmacarya (célibat) toute sa vie. Ou l’on peut vivre dans la forêt, ou demeurer près de son maître, ou encore vivre selon la discipline du renonçant (saṃnyāsa). Ainsi sont reconnues plusieurs voies de vie légitimes, chacune fondée sur la maîtrise de soi et la conduite droite.

Word by Word

• प्रजासर्गेण: by procreation/creation of offspring
• प्रजासर्गेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा-सर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• दारैः: by/with wives (marriage)
• दारैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• न: or/and (here as a connective in some recensions); also can mean 'not' contextually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• ब्रह्मचर्येण: by celibacy (brahmacarya)
• ब्रह्मचर्येण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• पुनः: again/further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• गुरु-सकाशे: in the presence of the teacher
• गुरु-सकाशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु-सकाश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• यति-धर्मेण: by the ascetic's discipline (renunciant dharma)
• यति-धर्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति-धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• पुनः: again/further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• guru (teacher)
• vana (forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse affirms that dharma can be pursued through multiple sanctioned life-paths—householder life with progeny, lifelong celibacy, forest-dwelling discipline, service near a guru, or renunciant practice—emphasizing that ethical living depends on disciplined conduct rather than a single uniform lifestyle.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instructional setting, Vyāsa is presenting a normative teaching on permissible modes of life and spiritual discipline, outlining alternative commitments a person may adopt according to aptitude and intention.