Shloka 17

Adhyaya 28 — Alarka Inquires into Varna and Ashrama Dharma; Madalasa Defines the Fourfold Duties

Sanskrit

शुश्रूषुर्निरभिमानो ब्रह्मचार्याश्रमं वसेत् ।

उपावृत्तस्ततस्तस्मात् गृहस्थाश्रमकाम्यया ॥

Transliteration

śuśrūṣur nirabhimāno brahmacāryāśramaṃ vaset /

upāvṛttas tatas tasmāt gṛhasthāśramakāmyayā //

Translation

സേവയിൽ നിരതനും അഹങ്കാരരഹിതനുമായിട്ട് അവൻ ബ്രഹ്മചര്യാശ്രമത്തിൽ വസിക്കണം. തുടർന്ന് അവിടെ നിന്ന് മടങ്ങി ഗൃഹസ്ഥാശ്രമത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിക്കാനുള്ള ആഗ്രഹത്തോടെ ആചരിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• śuśrūṣuḥ: desirous of service
• śuśrūṣuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √śru (धातु) + u (उणादि/कृत्) → śuśrūṣu (प्रातिपदिक, इच्छार्थक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (desiderative adjective: 'wishing to serve/hear')

• nir-abhimānaḥ: free from pride
• nir-abhimānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir (उपसर्ग) + abhimāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक विशेषण

• brahmacāri-āśramam: the student stage (brahmacarya āśrama)
• brahmacāri-āśramam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacārin (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (brahmacāriṇaḥ āśramaḥ)

• vaset: should dwell
• vaset: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• upāvṛttaḥ: having returned
• upāvṛttaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-ā-√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP)

• tataḥ: then/from there
• tataḥ: Apādāna (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादानार्थक/क्रमवाचक (from there/then)

• tasmāt: from that (stage)
• tasmāt: Apādāna (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• gṛhastha-āśrama-kāmyayā: due to desire for the householder stage
• gṛhastha-āśrama-kāmyayā: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛhastha (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + kāmyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (gṛhasthasya āśramaḥ) + तत्पुरुषः (āśrama-kāmyā = āśramasya kāmyā/āśrame kāmyā)

Speakers

• Dharma-instruction narrative voice (contextual teacher-speaker within Markandeya Purana’s didactic discourse)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Brahmacarya
• Humility
• Service (śuśrūṣā)
• Transition of life-stages

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Education is framed as character-formation: service and humility are prerequisites for learning. Only after disciplined training does one ‘return’ to undertake household responsibilities.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Normative dharma/ācāra instruction; not a sarga/pratisarga/manvantara genealogy unit.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Nirabhimāna’ is inner purification: the ego’s softening is presented as the true ‘initiation’ that makes later social roles spiritually fruitful.