Shloka 4

Exposition of the Duties of Ascetics

Saṃnyāsa-Dharma

Devanagari script

प्राजापत्यां निरूप्येष्टिमाग्नेयीमथवा पुनः । दांतः शुक्लकषायोसौ ब्रह्माश्रममुपाश्रयेत्

Transliteration

prājāpatyāṃ nirūpyeṣṭimāgneyīmathavā punaḥ | dāṃtaḥ śuklakaṣāyosau brahmāśramamupāśrayet

Translation

ເມື່ອຈັດຕັ້ງຍັດຍະປຣາຊາປັດຍະ ຫຼືພິທີອັກເນຍະໃຫ້ຖືກຕ້ອງແລ້ວ ຜູ້ສຳລວມອິນຊີ ນຸ່ງຜ້າຂາວປົນສີຄະສາຍ (ໂອເຄີ) ພຶງເຂົ້າພຶ່ງພາພຣະຫມະ-ອາສຣົມ (ພຣະຫມະຈັນທະ)

Word by Word

• प्राजापत्याम्: in/according to the prājāpatya (rite)
• प्राजापत्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; इष्टौ/इष्टिम् इति विशेषण (in the prājāpatya rite)

• निरूप्य: having arranged/prescribed
• निरूप्य: Kriya (Gerund/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-√वप्/√रूप् (धातु; here ‘निरूपयति’ from निर्-√रूप्)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• इष्टिम्: sacrificial offering; iṣṭi
• इष्टिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आग्नेयीम्: Agni-related; belonging to Agni
• आग्नेयीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आग्नेयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; इष्टिम् इति विशेषण

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Alternative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• पुनः: again; further
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्ति (adverb: again/further)

• दान्तः: self-controlled
• दान्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान्त (प्रातिपदिक; √दम् क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• शुक्लकषायः: (wearing) white and ochre (garments)
• शुक्लकषायः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल-कषाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वस्त्रवर्ण-विशेषण (white and ochre)

• असौ: he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ब्रह्माश्रमम्: the Brahma-āśrama (sannyāsa stage)
• ब्रह्माश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• उपाश्रयेत्: should resort to; should enter
• उपाश्रयेत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-√श्रि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within Svarga-khaṇḍa context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: निरूप्येष्टिम् = निरूप्य + इष्टिम्; इष्टिमाग्नेयीम् = इष्टिम् + आग्नेयीम्; आग्नेयीमथवा = आग्नेयीम् + अथवा; कषायोसौ = कषायः + असौ (ः + अ → ओ).

Characters & Entities

• Prajāpati
• Agni
• Brahma-āśrama (Brahmacarya)

FAQs

What is the Brahma-āśrama referred to in this verse?

Here “Brahma-āśrama” points to the brahmacarya stage—living with restraint, study, and discipline as a Vedic student (or in a student-like ascetic regimen).

Why are Prajāpatya and Agneya rites mentioned together?

They function as exemplars of sanctioned Vedic rites (iṣṭis) that prepare a person ritually and ethically—through ordered worship and self-restraint—for entry into the brahmacarya/āśrama discipline.

What ethical lesson is emphasized in this shloka?

Ritual action is paired with inner discipline: the verse stresses self-control (dānta) and a regulated way of life as essential to religious practice and spiritual progression.