Shloka 23

Cāturāśramya-dharma—Marks of the Four Āśramas (चातुराश्रम्यधर्मः)

Devanagari script

मान्धातोवाच दृश्यन्ते मानुषे लोके सर्ववर्णेषु दस्यव: । लिज्ान्तरे वर्तमाना आश्रमेषु चतुर्ष्वपि

Transliteration

māndhātovāca dṛśyante mānuṣe loke sarvavarṇeṣu dasyavaḥ | liṅgāntare vartamānā āśrameṣu caturṣv api ||

Translation

Māndhātā dit : «Dans le monde des hommes, on voit des voleurs et des hors-la-loi dans tous les varṇa (ordres sociaux). Même lorsqu’ils portent les signes extérieurs d’autres identités, ils circulent aussi au sein des quatre āśrama (étapes de la vie)».

Word by Word

• मान्धातोः: of Māndhātṛ
• मान्धातोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान्धातृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen/appear
• दृश्यन्ते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Ātmanepada, Passive/Ātmanepada usage

• मानुषे: in the human
• मानुषे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• लोके: world
• लोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सर्ववर्णेषु: among all varṇas (social classes)
• सर्ववर्णेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ववर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• दस्यवः: robbers/outlaws
• दस्यवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दस्यु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• लिङ्गान्तरे: in another guise/mark (i.e., disguised)
• लिङ्गान्तरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्गान्तर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वर्तमाना: living/behaving (as)
• वर्तमाना: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आश्रमेषु: in the āśramas (stages of life)
• आश्रमेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• चतुर्षु: in (all) four
• चतुर्षु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

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

Speaker

इन्द्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Māndhātā
• mānuṣa-loka (human world)
• varṇa (social orders)
• dasyu (robbers)
• āśrama (four stages of life)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

External status—whether varṇa or āśrama—does not guarantee virtue; unethical people can hide behind respectable identities, so dharma must be judged by conduct rather than mere appearance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Māndhātā observes that criminals and exploiters exist across society and can even masquerade within the four āśramas, raising a concern about discerning true righteousness amid social and religious forms.