Shloka 14

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

Devanagari script

कालोदकेन महता वर्षावर्तेन संततम्‌ । मासोर्मिणर्तुवेगेन पक्षोलपतृणेन च

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | kālodakena mahatā varṣāvartena santatam | māsormibhir ṛtuvegena pakṣolapatṛṇena ca | nimeṣonmeṣa-phenena dinarātri-jalapravāhaiḥ | kāmadevo bhayaṅkaro grāhaḥ | vedā yajñāś ca naukāḥ | dharmo dvīpaḥ prāṇinām āśrayabhūtaḥ | artha-kāmau jalāni | satyabhāṣaṇaṃ mokṣaś ca ubhe tīre | hiṃsā-rūpā vṛkṣāḥ tasmin kāla-pravāhe vahanti | yugaṃ maryādā | brahmaiva ca taṃ kālanadaṃ prasūte parvataḥ | tasmin pravāhe patitā vidhātṛ-sṛṣṭāḥ sarve prāṇino yamalokaṃ prati ākarṣyante ||

Translation

ବ୍ୟାସ କହିଲେ—କାଳରୂପ ମହାନଦୀ ବହୁଛି। ତାହାର ଜଳ ସ୍ୱୟଂ କାଳ; ନିରନ୍ତର ଉଠୁଥିବା ବର୍ଷା ତାହାର ଭଁବର। ମାସ ତାହାର ଉତ୍ତାଳ ତରଙ୍ଗ; ଋତୁ ତାହାର ବେଗବାନ୍ ସ୍ରୋତ; ପକ୍ଷ ତାହାର ଲତା ଓ ତୃଣ। ନିମେଷ-ଉନ୍ମେଷ ତାହାର ଫେନ; ଦିନ-ରାତି ତାହାର ଧାରା। ତାହାରେ କାମରୂପ ଭୟଙ୍କର ଗ୍ରାହ ବସେ। ବେଦ ଓ ଯଜ୍ଞ ନୌକା; ଧର୍ମ ପ୍ରାଣୀମାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ଆଶ୍ରୟଦ୍ୱୀପ। ଅର୍ଥ ଓ କାମ ତାହାର ଜଳ; ସତ୍ୟବାକ୍ୟ ଓ ମୋକ୍ଷ ତାହାର ଦୁଇ କୂଳ। ହିଂସାରୂପ ବୃକ୍ଷ ସେହି ସ୍ରୋତରେ ଭାସିଯାଏ। ଯୁଗ ତାହାର ସୀମା, ଏବଂ ବ୍ରହ୍ମ ହେଉଛି ସେହି ପର୍ବତ-ମୂଳ ଯାହାଠାରୁ ଏହି କାଳନଦୀ ଜନ୍ମେ। ସେହି ପ୍ରବାହରେ ପଡ଼ି ବିଧାତା ସୃଷ୍ଟ ସମସ୍ତ ପ୍ରାଣୀ ଯମଲୋକକୁ ଟାଣିନିଆଯାଉଛନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• कालोदकेन: with/by the water of Time
• कालोदकेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल-उदक
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• महता: great, vast
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वर्षावर्तेन: by the whirlpool of rains
• वर्षावर्तेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षा-आवर्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• संततम्: continually, uninterruptedly
• संततम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संतत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मास-ऊर्मि-ऋतु-वेगेन: by (its) months as waves and seasons as currents/impetus
• मास-ऊर्मि-ऋतु-वेगेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास-ऊर्मि-ऋतु-वेग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पक्ष-उलप-तृणेन: by fortnights, reeds, and grass (as its floating growth)
• पक्ष-उलप-तृणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष-उलप-तृण
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Kāla (Time, personified)
• Kāmadeva
• Veda
• Yajña
• Dharma
• Brahman
• Vidhātṛ (Creator)
• Yama
• Yamaloka
• Yuga

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Time is an irresistible current carrying all beings toward death and judgment; only disciplined life—grounded in Dharma, truthful speech, and oriented to moksha—provides safe footing and a way to ‘cross’ the dangers of desire, violence, and attachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa delivers a sustained metaphor: the cosmos is a river of Time with cycles (days, months, seasons, yugas) as its features; desire is a predator within it; Vedic knowledge and sacrifice are boats; Dharma is a refuge-island; and all created beings are pulled along toward Yama’s realm.