Shloka 86

Gṛhastha-vṛtti and Niyama: Models of Householder Livelihood and Discipline (गृहस्थवृत्ति-नियमाः)

Devanagari script

कामक्रोधौ वशे कृत्वा निनीषेद्‌ ब्रह्मण: पदम्‌ । इस प्रकार पाप धुल जानेपर बुद्धिमान्‌ ब्राह्मण स्वल्पाहार करते हुए इन्द्रियोंको जीते और काम तथा क्रोधको अधीन करके ब्रह्मपदको प्राप्त करनेकी इच्छा करे

Transliteration

kāmakrodhau vaśe kṛtvā ninīṣed brahmaṇaḥ padam |

Translation

काम आणि क्रोध वश करून ब्रह्मपद प्राप्त करण्याची इच्छा करावी. अशा प्रकारे पाप धुऊन गेल्यावर बुद्धिमान ब्राह्मण स्वल्पाहार करून इंद्रियांवर विजय मिळवावा आणि काम-क्रोध अधीन करून परम ब्रह्मपदाच्या प्राप्तीसाठी मन लावावे.

Word by Word

• कामक्रोधौ: desire and anger
• कामक्रोधौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक), क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• वशे: under control/in subjection
• वशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कृत्वा: having made (having brought)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• निनीषेत्: should wish to lead/should desire to attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) with desiderative stem निनीष-
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahman
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• पदम्: state/position (goal)
• पदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Brahman (brahmaṇaḥ padam)
• brāhmaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Spiritual liberation requires disciplined self-mastery: restrain the senses, practice moderation (especially in food), and subdue desire (kāma) and anger (krodha). With inner impurity removed, one should direct one’s intention toward realizing the Brahman-state (brahmaṇaḥ padam).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Vyāsa articulates a practical ascetic-ethical regimen for a brāhmaṇa-seeker: purification from sin, moderation in living, sensory restraint, and the deliberate subjugation of desire and anger as prerequisites for attaining the highest spiritual goal.