Shloka 15

Ātma-saṃyama-dharma: One-pointedness of Mind and Senses (शुक–व्यास संवादः)

Devanagari script

चतुष्पदी हि नि:श्रेणी ब्रह्मण्येषा प्रतिष्िता । एतामारुहा[ नि:श्रेणीं ब्रह्मलोके महीयते

Transliteration

catuṣpadī hi niḥśreṇī brahmaṇy eṣā pratiṣṭhitā | etām āruhya niḥśreṇīṁ brahmaloke mahīyate ||

Translation

ఈ నాలుగు ఆశ్రమాలు బ్రహ్మంలోనే ప్రతిష్ఠితమై ఉన్నాయి; బ్రహ్మాన్ని చేరే నాలుగు మెట్ల నిచ్చెనలాగా చెప్పబడతాయి. ఆ నిచ్చెనను అధిరోహించినవాడు బ్రహ్మలోకంలో గౌరవింపబడతాడు.

Word by Word

• चतुष्पदी: four-stepped
• चतुष्पदी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुष्पद
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• निःश्रेणी: ladder/stairway
• निःश्रेणी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निःश्रेणी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मण्या: leading to Brahman / pertaining to Brahman
• ब्रह्मण्या: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मण्य
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रतिष्ठिता: established/founded
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-स्था
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• एताम्: this (her/it)
• एताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आरुह्य: having climbed
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)

• निःश्रेणीम्: the ladder/stairway
• निःश्रेणीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निःश्रेणी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रह्मलोके: in the world of Brahman
• ब्रह्मलोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मलोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• महीयते: is honored/is glorified
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह्
• Form: Present (Lat), Atmanepada (passive sense), Third, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Brahman
• Brahmaloka
• niḥśreṇī (four-stepped ladder, metaphor)
• catuṣpadī (four steps, implying the four āśramas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the four āśramas (stages of life) function like a four-rung ladder grounded in Brahman; by properly living and completing this graded discipline, one becomes fit for the highest spiritual honor—attainment of Brahmaloka/realization oriented toward Brahman.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is explaining a doctrinal point within Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma: he frames the āśrama system as a structured path of ascent, emphasizing its spiritual purpose rather than merely social organization.