Shloka 4
महाभूत–इन्द्रिय–मनस्–बुद्धि–अन्तरात्मा विवेकः | Discrimination of Elements, Senses, Mind, Intellect, and Inner Self
व्यास उवाच गृहस्थस्तु यदा पश्येद् वलीपलितमात्मन: । अपत्यस्यैव चापत्यं वनमेव तदा श्रयेत्
vyāsa uvāca | gṛhasthas tu yadā paśyed valīpalitam ātmanaḥ | apatyasyaiva cāpatyaṃ vanam eva tadā śrayet ||
ວະຍາສະກ່າວວ່າ: «ເມື່ອຄົນຄອບຄົວເຫັນໃນຕົນເອງອາການແຫ່ງຄວາມແກ່—ຜິວຍັບ ແລະຜົມຫົວຂາວ—ແລະເມື່ອລູກຂອງເຂົາກໍໄດ້ມີລູກອີກຊັ້ນໜຶ່ງ, ເຂົາຄວນເຂົ້າປ່າ ແລະເຂົ້າສູ່ຊີວິດວານະປຣັສຖະ (vānaprastha) ເພື່ອອຸທິດຊ່ວງທ້າຍແຫ່ງຊີວິດໃຫ້ແກ່ວິໄນ ແລະພະລະກິດອັນສັກສິດ. ຄຳສອນນີ້ເຫັນການສະຫຼະບໍ່ແມ່ນການລະທິ້ມທຳ, ແຕ່ເປັນການປ່ຽນຜ່ານຕາມການເວລາ: ເມື່ອສາຍສືບຕະກູນມັ່ນຄົງແລ້ວ ຈຶ່ງຫັນໄປສູ່ຕະປະ, ການບູຊາ, ແລະຄວາມໝັ້ນຄົງພາຍໃນ.»
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches the dharmic timing of life-stage transition: after fulfilling household responsibilities and ensuring continuity of the family line (one’s child has a child), and upon seeing signs of aging, a person should shift from gṛhastha life to vānaprastha—reducing worldly entanglements and increasing austerity and spiritual discipline.
Vyāsa is instructing on āśrama-dharma within the Śānti Parva’s broader discourse on righteous living. He describes the practical marker for leaving active household life—old age and secured lineage—and prescribes taking to the forest as the appropriate next mode of life.