Shloka 28
Adhyaya 28 — Alarka Inquires into Varna and Ashrama Dharma; Madalasa Defines the Fourfold Duties
चतुर्थस्य स्वरूपं तु श्रूयतामाश्रमस्य मे । यः स्वधर्मोऽस्य धर्मज्ञैः प्रोक्तस्तात ! महात्मभिः ॥
caturthasya svarūpaṃ tu śrūyatām āśramasya me | yaḥ svadharmo 'sya dharmajñaiḥ proktas tāta mahātmabhiḥ ||
இப்போது, அன்புடையவனே, தர்மத்தை அறிந்த மகாத்மாக்கள் கூறியபடி நான்காம் ஆசிரமத்தின் இயல்பையும் அதன் சொந்தக் கடமையையும் என்னிடமிருந்து கேள்.
{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "dharma", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
Renunciation is not portrayed as whim but as a defined dharma transmitted by authoritative tradition (dharmajña mahātman), implying disciplined entry and accountability.
Didactic dharma passage; an instructional layer typical of Purāṇas alongside cosmology and genealogies.
Calling it ‘svarūpa’ hints that the fourth stage is about identity: realizing the self’s essential nature beyond social designation.