Shloka 24

Devanagari script

स्वेषु दारेषु संतोष: शौच॑ नित्यानसूयता । आत्मज्ञानं तितिक्षा च धर्मा: साधारणा नृप

Transliteration

sveṣu dāreṣu santoṣaḥ śaucaṃ nityān asūyatā | ātmajñānaṃ titikṣā ca dharmāḥ sādhāraṇā nṛpa ||

Translation

Parāśara dit : «Ô roi, les devoirs communs qui soutiennent tous les hommes sont ceux-ci : se contenter de son propre époux ou épouse, la pureté de conduite, l’absence constante d’envie et de blâme, la connaissance du Soi, et l’endurance patiente. C’est le fondement éthique sur lequel se tient le dharma.»

Word by Word

स्वेषुin one’s own

दारेषुwives (marital partners)

संतोषःcontentment

शौचम्purity/cleanliness

नित्याconstant

अनसूयताfreedom from envy/censoriousness

आत्मज्ञानम्knowledge of the Self

तितिक्षाforbearance/endurance

चand

धर्माःduties/virtues

साधारणाःcommon/general (to all)

नृपO king

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Parāśara

nṛpa (the king, addressee)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse lists sādhāraṇa-dharmas—universal ethical duties: fidelity/contentment within one’s own marriage, purity, freedom from envy and fault-finding, self-knowledge, and forbearance. Together they stabilize personal conduct and social order.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, the sage Parāśara addresses a king and summarizes foundational virtues that apply broadly to all people, presenting them as common standards of righteous living.