Shloka 16
Ātma-saṃyama-dharma: One-pointedness of Mind and Senses (शुक–व्यास संवादः)
आयुषस्तु चतुर्भागं ब्रह्मचार्यनसूयक: । गुरौ वा गुरुपुत्रे वा वसेद् धर्मार्थकोविद:
āyuṣas tu caturbhāgaṃ brahmacāry anasūyakaḥ | gurau vā guruputre vā vased dharmārthakovidaḥ ||
Seorang brahmacārin, tanpa mencari-cari cela, hendaknya tinggal bersama guru—atau putra guru—selama seperempat masa hidupnya. Dengan hidup dalam pelayanan yang tertib dan berdisiplin, ia menjadi mahir memahami dharma dan artha.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
A brahmacārin should spend a substantial formative period (one quarter of life) living in disciplined service to the guru (or the guru’s son), cultivating humility and refraining from fault-finding; this character-formation leads to competence in dharma (right conduct) and artha (practical welfare).
In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa lays down a rule of conduct for the student stage of life: residence with the teacher, service, and a non-censorious attitude are presented as the means by which a student becomes truly learned in ethical and practical aims.