Shloka 23

महाभूत–इन्द्रिय–मनस्–बुद्धि–अन्तरात्मा विवेकः | Discrimination of Elements, Senses, Mind, Intellect, and Inner Self

Devanagari script

चतुर्थे चायुष: शेषे वानप्रस्थाश्रमं त्यजेत्‌ । सद्यस्कारां निरूप्येष्टिं सर्ववेदसदक्षिणाम्‌

Transliteration

caturthe cāyuṣaḥ śeṣe vānaprasthāśramaṃ tyajet | sadyaskārāṃ nirūpyeṣṭiṃ sarvavedasadakṣiṇām ||

Translation

ಆಯುಷ್ಯದ ನಾಲ್ಕನೇ ಹಾಗೂ ಅಂತಿಮ ಭಾಗ ಮಾತ್ರ ಉಳಿದಾಗ ವಾನಪ್ರಸ್ಥಾಶ್ರಮವನ್ನು ತ್ಯಜಿಸಬೇಕು. ತಕ್ಷಣ ನೆರವೇರಿಸಬೇಕಾದ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರಗಳನ್ನು ಏರ್ಪಡಿಸಿ, ಸಮಸ್ತ ವೇದವಿಧಾನಾನುಸಾರ ದಕ್ಷಿಣಾಸಹಿತ ಇಷ್ಟಿ-ಯಾಗವನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಿ, ನಂತರ ಸಂನ್ಯಾಸಮಾರ್ಗದತ್ತ ಮುಂದುವರಿಯಬೇಕು.

Word by Word

चतुर्थेin the fourth (stage/part)

चand

आयुषःof life

शेषेin the remainder

वानप्रस्थाश्रमम्the forest-dweller stage (vānaprastha-āśrama)

त्यजेत्should abandon

सद्यःimmediately

काराम्the rite/act (kārā)

निरूप्यhaving arranged/appointed

इष्टिम्a sacrifice (iṣṭi)

सर्ववेदसदक्षिणाम्having all the Vedas as its dakṣiṇā (fee)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

vānaprastha-āśrama

Vedas

iṣṭi (sacrificial rite)

dakṣiṇā (priestly gift/fee)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches āśrama-dharma: as life enters its final quarter, one should let go of the forest-dweller stage and, after duly completing necessary rites and Veda-sanctioned sacrificial obligations with proper gifts, move toward full renunciation and spiritual single-mindedness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is laying down a normative guideline for the progression of life-stages. He describes the transition point late in life: completing remaining ritual responsibilities (including an iṣṭi with appropriate dakṣiṇā) and then abandoning vānaprastha, implying the next step toward a renunciate ideal.