Shloka 22
चतुर्णामाश्रमाणां हि गार्हस्थ्यं श्रेष्ठमुत्तमम्।आहुर्धर्मज्ञ धर्मज्ञास्तं कथं त्यक्तु मर्हसि।।।।
caturṇām āśramāṇāṁ hi gārhasthyaṁ śreṣṭham uttamam |
āhur dharmajña dharmajñās taṁ kathaṁ tyaktum arhasi ||
ਚਾਰ ਆਸ਼ਰਮਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਗ੍ਰਿਹਸਥ ਆਸ਼ਰਮ ਨੂੰ ਧਰਮ ਦੇ ਜਾਣਕਾਰ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ ਤੇ ਉੱਤਮ ਕਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਹੇ ਧਰਮਜ੍ਞ, ਤੂੰ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਤਿਆਗਣ ਲਈ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਯੋਗ ਹੋ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈਂ?
O Rama, you are the one who knows his duty. The knowers of dharma maintain thatthe life of a householder is the foremost among the four modes of life. How can you renounce it?
FAQs
Dharma is linked to sustaining society: the householder stage supports other āśramas through protection, charity, and stable governance.
Bharata argues against renunciation by reminding Rama that authoritative tradition praises gārhasthya as the foremost āśrama.
Rama’s dharma-competence (dharmajñatā), which Bharata invokes to persuade him to uphold social responsibility.