Shloka 5

Ātma-saṃyama-dharma: One-pointedness of Mind and Senses (शुक–व्यास संवादः)

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच यथा वै विहिता वृत्ति: पुरस्ताद्‌ ब्रह्मणा स्वयम्‌ | एषा पूर्वतरै: सद्धिराचीर्णा परमर्षिभि:,व्यासजीने कहा--बेटा! पूर्वकालमें साक्षात्‌ ब्रह्माजीनी जिस आचार-व्यवहारका विधान कर दिया है, पहलेके सत्पुरुष तथा ऋषि-महर्षि भी उसीका पालन करते आ रहे हैं

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | yathā vai vihitā vṛttiḥ purastād brahmaṇā svayam | eṣā pūrvataraiḥ sadbhir ācīrṇā paramarṣibhiḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa berkata: “Wahai anakku! Sebagaimana pada zaman dahulu Brahmā sendiri telah menetapkan tata laku yang benar ini, demikian pula orang-orang saleh terdahulu dan para maharṣi telah mengamalkannya dan memeliharanya.”

Word by Word

व्यासःVyasa

उवाचsaid

यथाas, just as

वैindeed

विहिताordained, prescribed

वृत्तिःconduct; mode of life

पुरस्तात्formerly; in the beginning

ब्रह्मणाby Brahma

स्वयम्himself

एषाthis (conduct)

पूर्वतरैःby earlier (people)

सद्भिःby the good (men)

आचीर्णाpractised, observed

परमर्षिभिःby the great sages

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Brahmā

Paramarṣis (great seers)

Sadhu/Satpuruṣa (virtuous predecessors)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Right conduct (vṛtti/ācāra) gains authority from two pillars: its original ordination by Brahmā and its continuous practice by earlier virtuous people and great seers. Dharma is presented as an inherited, time-tested standard rather than a personal invention.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is affirming a rule or way of life by appealing to primordial authority (Brahmā’s ordinance) and exemplary precedent (the conduct of ancient sages). He is positioning the teaching within an established lineage of dharma.