Shloka 56

Dietary Rules & Purification — Dietary Rules, Purification (Śauca), and the Duties of the Householder and Forest-Dweller

Devanagari script

अपत्यसंततिं दृष्ट्वा प्राज्ञो देहस्य चानतिम् वानप्रस्थाश्रमं धर्मं प्रवक्ष्यामो ऽवधार्यताम्

Transliteration

apatyasaṃtatiṃ dṛṣṭvā prājño dehasya cānatim vānaprasthāśramaṃ dharmaṃ pravakṣyāmo 'vadhāryatām

Translation

संतान-परंपरा को देखकर और शरीर की क्षीणता को भी जानकर, बुद्धिमान व्यक्ति अगले चरण की ओर प्रवृत्त होता है। हम वानप्रस्थ-आश्रम के धर्म का वर्णन करेंगे—इसे ध्यान से सुनो।

Word by Word

• अपत्य-संततिम्: offspring/lineage
• अपत्य-संततिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संतति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: अपत्यस्य संततिः (lineage of children)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having seen’

• प्राज्ञः: the wise man
• प्राज्ञः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• देहस्य: of the body
• देहस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अनतिम्: decline, deterioration
• अनतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘दृष्ट्वा’ इत्यस्य कर्म (seen)

• वानप्रस्थ-आश्रमम्: the forest-dweller stage
• वानप्रस्थ-आश्रमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• धर्मम्: duty, dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामः: we shall explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future/लृट्), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• अवधार्यताम्: let it be understood
• अवधार्यताम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-धृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), कर्मणि (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrative layer not specified in input (commonly Pulastya → Nārada in Vāmana Purāṇa); speaker unspecified here

Key Themes

• Vānaprastha
• Life-stage transition
• Impermanence of the body
• Householder completion (progeny established)
• Renunciation-in-stages

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

A responsible transition to renunciation is advised once social continuity is secured (progeny established) and bodily impermanence is recognized; wisdom is shown by timely reorientation from acquisition to austerity and contemplation.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is ācāra-dharma (conduct/discipline) guidance. It is not sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita, but a normative teaching embedded in the Purāṇic discourse.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Progeny continuity’ symbolizes completion of worldly obligations; ‘bodily decline’ symbolizes the call of time (kāla) prompting inwardness—together marking the dhārmic pivot from pravṛtti (engagement) toward nivṛtti (withdrawal).