Shloka 17

Adhyaya 28 — Alarka Inquires into Varna and Ashrama Dharma; Madalasa Defines the Fourfold Duties

Sanskrit

शुश्रूषुर्निरभिमानो ब्रह्मचार्याश्रमं वसेत् ।

उपावृत्तस्ततस्तस्मात् गृहस्थाश्रमकाम्यया ॥

Transliteration

śuśrūṣur nirabhimāno brahmacāryāśramaṃ vaset /

upāvṛttas tatas tasmāt gṛhasthāśramakāmyayā //

Translation

Animé par le service et exempt d’orgueil, il doit demeurer dans l’āśrama de l’étudiant (brahmacarya). Puis, revenu de là, il peut agir avec le désir d’entrer dans l’état de maître de maison.

Word by Word

• śuśrūṣuḥ: desirous of service
• śuśrūṣuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √śru (धातु) + u (उणादि/कृत्) → śuśrūṣu (प्रातिपदिक, इच्छार्थक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (desiderative adjective: 'wishing to serve/hear')

• nir-abhimānaḥ: free from pride
• nir-abhimānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir (उपसर्ग) + abhimāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक विशेषण

• brahmacāri-āśramam: the student stage (brahmacarya āśrama)
• brahmacāri-āśramam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacārin (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (brahmacāriṇaḥ āśramaḥ)

• vaset: should dwell
• vaset: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• upāvṛttaḥ: having returned
• upāvṛttaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-ā-√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP)

• tataḥ: then/from there
• tataḥ: Apādāna (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादानार्थक/क्रमवाचक (from there/then)

• tasmāt: from that (stage)
• tasmāt: Apādāna (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• gṛhastha-āśrama-kāmyayā: due to desire for the householder stage
• gṛhastha-āśrama-kāmyayā: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛhastha (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + kāmyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (gṛhasthasya āśramaḥ) + तत्पुरुषः (āśrama-kāmyā = āśramasya kāmyā/āśrame kāmyā)

Speakers

• Dharma-instruction narrative voice (contextual teacher-speaker within Markandeya Purana’s didactic discourse)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Brahmacarya
• Humility
• Service (śuśrūṣā)
• Transition of life-stages

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Education is framed as character-formation: service and humility are prerequisites for learning. Only after disciplined training does one ‘return’ to undertake household responsibilities.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Normative dharma/ācāra instruction; not a sarga/pratisarga/manvantara genealogy unit.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Nirabhimāna’ is inner purification: the ego’s softening is presented as the true ‘initiation’ that makes later social roles spiritually fruitful.