Shloka 36

Devanagari script

भैक्षचर्या परो धर्मो नित्ययज्ञोपवीतिता । नित्यं स्वाध्यायिता धर्मों ब्रह्म॒चर्याश्रमस्तथा

Transliteration

bhaikṣacaryā paro dharmo nitya-yajñopavītitā | nityaṁ svādhyāyitā dharmo brahmacaryāśramas tathā ||

Translation

Bagi seorang brahmacārin, bhaiṣya-caryā—meminta sedekah dari desa ke desa lalu mempersembahkannya kepada guru—adalah dharma tertinggi. Senantiasa mengenakan yajñopavīta, setiap hari melakukan svādhyāya atas Veda, dan teguh dalam tata-aturan āśrama brahmacarya—itulah kewajiban utamanya.

Word by Word

• भैक्षचर्या: the practice of alms-begging (as a student’s duty)
• भैक्षचर्या: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्षचर्या (भिक्षा + चर्या)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• परः: supreme
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मः: duty; dharma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नित्य: always; daily
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• यज्ञोपवीतिता: wearing the yajñopavīta (sacred thread)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञोपवीतित (यज्ञोपवीत + इत; ‘wearing the sacred thread’)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नित्यम्: daily; constantly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• स्वाध्यायिता: engaged in Vedic study/recitation
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वाध्यायित (स्वाध्याय + इत; ‘engaged in self-study/recitation’)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मः: duty; dharma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मचर्याश्रमः: the brahmacarya-āśrama (student stage of life)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्याश्रम (ब्रह्मचर्य + आश्रम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: and likewise; also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Maheśvara (Mahādeva/Śiva)
• yajñopavīta (sacred thread)
• brahmacārin (Vedic student)
• guru (teacher) (implied by bhaikṣacaryā practice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse defines the brahmacārin’s highest dharma as disciplined dependence on alms offered to the guru, together with constant wearing of the sacred thread, daily Vedic study (svādhyāya), and faithful observance of the brahmacarya-āśrama rules—framing education as an ethical and ascetic training, not merely acquisition of knowledge.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrī Maheśvara is instructing about āśrama-dharma, specifically outlining the prescribed conduct of a Vedic student (brahmacārin) and emphasizing the daily practices that sustain and symbolize that life of restraint, service, and study.