Shloka 17
Cāturāśramya-dharma—Marks of the Four Āśramas (चातुराश्रम्यधर्मः)
इन्द्र वाच मातापित्रो्हिं शुश्रूषा कर्तव्या सर्वदस्युभि: । आचार्यगुरुशुश्रूषा तथैवाश्रमवासिनाम्
indra uvāca: mātāpitroḥ hi śuśrūṣā kartavyā sarva-dasyubhiḥ | ācārya-guru-śuśrūṣā tathaivāśrama-vāsinām ||
Indra berkata: “Wahai Raja! Bahkan mereka yang hidup dengan cara para penyamun pun harus senantiasa berbakti dan melayani ibu dan ayah; demikian pula melayani ācārya dan guru; dan dengan cara yang sama melayani para muni yang tinggal di āśrama.”
इन्द्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
Service (śuśrūṣā) to parents, teachers, and hermitage-dwelling sages is presented as a non-negotiable duty that applies universally—even to those living by wrongful means—showing that foundational obligations of gratitude and reverence stand above one’s profession or moral lapses.
Indra is instructing a king in a dharma-teaching context, emphasizing that even ‘dasyus’ (outlaws) are bound by basic norms of conduct: honoring parents, serving one’s ācārya and guru, and respecting ascetics in āśramas.