Shloka 10

Devanagari script

केचिन्मोक्ष॑ प्रशंसन्ति केचिद्‌ यज्ञफलं द्विजा: । वानप्रस्थाश्रया: केचिद्‌ गार्हस्थ्यं केचिदास्थिता:,कोई द्विज मोक्षकी प्रशंसा करते हैं तो कोई यज्ञफलकी। कोई वानप्रस्थ-धर्मका आश्रय लेते हैं तो कोई गार्हस्थ्य-धर्मका

Transliteration

kecin mokṣaṁ praśaṁsanti kecid yajñaphalaṁ dvijāḥ | vānaprasthāśrayāḥ kecid gārhasthyaṁ kecid āsthitāḥ ||

Translation

బ్రాహ్మణుడు అన్నాడు—ఓ ద్విజులారా! కొందరు మోక్షాన్ని ప్రశంసిస్తారు, మరికొందరు యజ్ఞఫలాన్ని. కొందరు వానప్రస్థ ధర్మాన్ని ఆశ్రయిస్తారు, మరికొందరు గార్హస్థ్య ధర్మంలోనే స్థిరంగా ఉంటారు.

Word by Word

केचित्some (people)

मोक्षम्liberation

प्रशंसन्तिpraise

केचित्some (others)

यज्ञफलम्the fruit/result of sacrifice

द्विजाःBrahmins / twice-born

वानप्रस्थाश्रयाःthose who take refuge in the forest-dweller (vānaprastha) mode

केचित्some (others)

गार्हस्थ्यम्householder life/duty

केचित्some (others)

आस्थिताःhaving adopted / resorted to

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

brāhmaṇa (speaker)

dvijāḥ (twice-born persons)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the plurality of dharmic aims and disciplines: some prioritize mokṣa (liberation), others pursue ritual action for its meritorious results, and people align themselves with different āśramas (householder or forest-dweller). It frames a discussion on how varied paths are advocated within the tradition.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa speaker is describing the diversity of viewpoints among the twice-born regarding the highest good and proper conduct—contrasting praise of liberation with praise of sacrificial rewards, and noting differing commitments to the gṛhastha and vānaprastha stages.