Shloka 13

Cāturāśramya-dharma—Marks of the Four Āśramas (चातुराश्रम्यधर्मः)

Devanagari script

मान्धातोवाच यवना: किराता गान्धाराक्षीना: शबरबर्बरा: | शकास्तुषारा: कड्काश्च पह्लवाश्चान्ध्रमद्रका:

Transliteration

māndhātovāca—yavanāḥ kirātā gāndhārāḥ cīnāḥ śabarabarbarāḥ | śakās tuṣārāḥ kaṅkāś ca pahlavāś cāndhramadrakāḥ ||

Translation

ମାନ୍ଧାତା କହିଲେ—ଭଗବନ୍! ମୋ ରାଜ୍ୟରେ ସବୁଦିଗରେ ଅନେକ ମ୍ଲେଚ୍ଛ ଲୋକ ବସନ୍ତି—ଯବନ, କିରାତ, ଗାନ୍ଧାର, ଚୀନ, ଶବର ଓ ବର୍ବର; ଶକ, ତୁଷାର, କଙ୍କ, ପହ୍ଲବ, ଏବଂ ଆନ୍ଧ୍ର ଓ ମଦ୍ରକ। ସେମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ କେହି କେହି ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ଓ କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟଙ୍କ ସନ୍ତାନ, ଆଉ କେହି ବୈଶ୍ୟ-ଶୂଦ୍ର ମଧ୍ୟ—ଧର୍ମରୁ ପତିତ। ସମସ୍ତେ ଚୋରି ଓ ଡକାୟତିରେ ଜୀବିକା ଚାଲାନ୍ତି। ଏମିତି ଲୋକେ ଧର୍ମ କିପରି ଆଚରିବେ? ଏବଂ ମୋ ପରି ରାଜାମାନେ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ କିପରି ମର୍ଯ୍ୟାଦା ଓ ଶାସନରେ ସ୍ଥାପିତ କରିବେ?

Word by Word

• मान्धाता: Māndhātā
• मान्धाता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान्धातृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• यवनाः: Yavanas (Greeks/foreigners)
• यवनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यवन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• किराताः: Kirātas
• किराताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गान्धाराः: Gāndhāras
• गान्धाराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• चीनाḥ: Chinese (Cīnas)
• चीनाḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चीन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शबराः: Śabaras
• शबराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शबर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बर्बराः: Barbaras
• बर्बराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्बर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शकाः: Śakas (Scythians)
• शकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तुषाराः: Tuṣāras
• तुषाराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुषार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कड्काः: Kaḍkas (tribe-name)
• कड्काः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कड्क
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• पह्लवाः: Pahlavas
• पह्लवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पह्लव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• आन्ध्राः: Āndhras
• आन्ध्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आन्ध्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मद्रकाः: Madrakas
• मद्रकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्रक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

इन्द्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Māndhātā
• Indra
• Yavana
• Kirāta
• Gāndhāra
• Cīna
• Śabara
• Barbara
• Śaka
• Tuṣāra
• Kaṅka
• Pahlava
• Āndhra
• Madraka

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a classic rāja-dharma problem: when diverse communities—including those seen as outside Vedic norms and those who have ‘fallen’ from proper conduct—live within a kingdom and survive by crime, the king must find a way to bring them under maryādā (disciplined limits) so that social order and dharma can function.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Māndhātā addresses Indra, describing the presence of many frontier/foreign peoples and socially degraded groups in his realm, noting their reliance on theft and robbery, and asks how they can be made to practice dharma and how a ruler should regulate and reform them.