Shloka 23

कामबन्धन-निवृत्ति तथा शान्तिलक्षण-उपदेशः | Release from Desire-Bondage and the Marks of Peace

Devanagari script

परं परं तथैवाहुश्नातुराश्रम्यमेव तत्‌ । यथोक्ता नियमास्तेषां सर्व कार्य बुभूषता

Transliteration

paraṁ paraṁ tathaivāhuḥ snātur āśramyam eva tat | yathoktā niyamās teṣāṁ sarva-kārya-bubhūṣatā ||

Translation

ఇలా నాలుగు ఆశ్రమాలు కూడా క్రమక్రమంగా శ్రేష్ఠమని చెప్పబడుతున్నాయి—తర్వాతి ఆశ్రమం ముందటిదానికంటే ఉన్నతం. కనుక సమస్త పురుషార్థాలు, కర్తవ్యాల పరిపూర్ణత కోరుకునే వాడు శాస్త్రోక్తంగా ఆ ఆశ్రమాలకు విధించిన నియమాలను భక్తితో ఆచరించాలి.

Word by Word

• परम्: higher/superior (as object of saying)
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परम्: higher (again; successive superiority)
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: thus/in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• आहुः: they say/declare
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (आह)
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha/लिट्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• श्नातुः: of the bath-taker (i.e., of the householder/one who has taken the bath)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्नातृ (from √श्ना/स्ना 'to bathe')
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• आश्रम्यम्: the (next) āśrama-stage / hermitage-stage
• आश्रम्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम्य (from आश्रम)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तत्: that (stage/that one)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as/according to how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• उक्ताः: stated/declared
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उक्त (from √वच्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नियमाः: rules/observances
• नियमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तेषाम्: of them (of those āśramas)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• सर्वम्: all (entirely)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कार्यम्: to be done/that which should be done
• कार्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (from √कृ)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बुभूषता: by one wishing to become/prosper (i.e., seeking advancement)
• बुभूषता: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुभूषत् (desiderative from √भू)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• āśrama (the four life-stages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.