Shloka 15

महाभूत–इन्द्रिय–मनस्–बुद्धि–अन्तरात्मा विवेकः | Discrimination of Elements, Senses, Mind, Intellect, and Inner Self

Devanagari script

चतुर्थश्नौपनिषदो धर्म: साधारण: स्मृत: । वानप्रस्थाद्‌ गृहस्थाच्च ततो<न्य: सम्प्रवर्तते

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | caturthaś ca upaniṣado dharmaḥ sādhāraṇaḥ smṛtaḥ | vānaprasthād gṛhasthāc ca tato 'nyaḥ sampravartate ||

Translation

ବ୍ୟାସ କହିଲେ—“ଉପନିଷଦ୍‌-ପ୍ରତିପାଦିତ, ଚତୁର୍ଥ ଆଶ୍ରମସଂବନ୍ଧୀୟ ଧର୍ମ ‘ସାଧାରଣ’ ବୋଲି ସ୍ମୃତ—ଅର୍ଥାତ୍ ସମସ୍ତ ଆଶ୍ରମରେ ତାହାକୁ ଅଭ୍ୟାସ କରିବା ଉଚିତ। କିନ୍ତୁ ଚତୁର୍ଥ ଆଶ୍ରମ—ସନ୍ନ୍ୟାସ—ର ବିଶେଷ ଆଚାର ଗୃହସ୍ଥ ଓ ବାନପ୍ରସ୍ଥ ଠାରୁ ଭିନ୍ନ ଭାବେ ପ୍ରବର୍ତ୍ତିତ ହୁଏ।”

Word by Word

• चतुर्थ: fourth
• चतुर्थ: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्नौपनिषदः: the Upaniṣadic (dharma) of śama etc. (as a technical term)
• श्नौपनिषदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्नौपनिषद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मः: dharma; duty; law
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• साधारणः: common; general
• साधारणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधारण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्मृतः: is remembered/considered
• स्मृतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive (participial)

• वानप्रस्थात्: from the forest-dweller (āśrama)
• वानप्रस्थात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• गृहस्थात्: from the householder (āśrama)
• गृहस्थात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

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

• ततः: thereafter; from that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अन्यः: different; another
• अन्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्प्रवर्तते: proceeds; comes into operation
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+प्र+वृत्
• Form: Lat (present), Ātmanepada, Third, Singular, Active (ātmanepada)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Upaniṣads
• Saṃnyāsa (fourth āśrama)
• Vānaprastha
• Gṛhastha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Upaniṣadic inner disciplines—restraint, calm, endurance, and collectedness—are universal duties (sādhāraṇa-dharma) for all āśramas, even though the specific lifestyle and obligations of saṃnyāsa differ from those of the householder and forest-dweller.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and life-stages, Vyāsa clarifies how renunciant teachings relate to the broader āśrama system: the inner ethical virtues are shared across stages, while the formal duties of the fourth stage (saṃnyāsa) are distinct.