Shloka 23
कामबन्धन-निवृत्ति तथा शान्तिलक्षण-उपदेशः | Release from Desire-Bondage and the Marks of Peace
परं परं तथैवाहुश्नातुराश्रम्यमेव तत् । यथोक्ता नियमास्तेषां सर्व कार्य बुभूषता,इसी प्रकार चारों आश्रम भी उत्तरोत्तर श्रेष्ठ कहे गये हैं। उन आश्रमोंके जो शास्त्रोक्त नियम हैं, उन सबका अपनी उन्नति चाहनेवाले पुरुषको पालन करना चाहिये
paraṁ paraṁ tathaivāhuḥ snātur āśramyam eva tat | yathoktā niyamās teṣāṁ sarva-kārya-bubhūṣatā ||
परं परं तथैवाहुश्चत्वारोऽप्याश्रमाः क्रमात् । पूर्वस्मात् पूर्वस्मादुत्कृष्टा इति निश्चयः ॥ तस्मात् सर्वार्थसिद्ध्यर्थं सर्वकार्यबुभूषया । शास्त्रोक्तान् तेषु नियमाञ्श्रद्धया परिपालयेत् ॥
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the four āśramas are viewed as an ascending spiritual-ethical progression, and that one seeking true accomplishment should follow the śāstra-prescribed disciplines (niyamas) appropriate to each stage.
In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa states a normative principle about āśrama-dharma: the life-stages are ranked as successively higher, and their scriptural rules should be practiced by a person intent on overall welfare and attainment.