Shloka 4

Cāturāśramya-dharma—Marks of the Four Āśramas (चातुराश्रम्यधर्मः)

Devanagari script

बहुश्र॒त्या गुरुशुश्रूषया च परस्परं संहननाद्‌ वदन्ति । नित्यं॑ धर्म क्षत्रियो ब्रह्म॒चारी चरेदेको ह्माश्रमं धर्मकाम:

Transliteration

bahuśratyā guruśuśrūṣayā ca parasparaṃ saṃhananād vadanti | nityaṃ dharma kṣatriyo brahmacārī cared eko hy āśramaṃ dharmakāmaḥ ||

Translation

ఇంద్రుడు పలికెను— విస్తార శ్రవణ-విద్యతోను, గురుసేవతోను జనులు పరస్పర సమ్మతితో మాటలాడుదురు. నిత్యము ధర్మమున స్థితుడైన క్షత్రియుడు బ్రహ్మచారిగా ఉండి ఒకే ఆశ్రమధర్మమును ఆచరించవలెను—ధర్మకాముడై.

Word by Word

बहुश्रुत्याby much learning/erudition

गुरुशुश्रूषयाby service to the teacher

चand

परस्परम्mutually/with one another

संहननात्from close association/union

वदन्तिthey say/speak

नित्यम्always

धर्मम्dharma/righteous duty

क्षत्रियःa Kshatriya

ब्रह्मचारीa brahmacārin (celibate student)

चरेत्should practice/should follow

एकःalone/single

हindeed (emphatic particle)

आश्रमम्the āśrama (stage of life/discipline)

धर्मकामःdesirous of dharma

Speaker

इन्द्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Indra

guru (teacher)

kṣatriya

brahmacārī

āśrama

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Learning (bahuśruti) and humble service to the teacher (guruśuśrūṣā) cultivate disciplined, harmonious speech and understanding; for a kṣatriya devoted to dharma, the verse emphasizes steadfast adherence to a defined life-discipline—here framed as brahmacarya and commitment to one āśrama.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra is instructing on right conduct: he links moral and social stability to education under a guru and to regulated life-practice, presenting brahmacarya and āśrama-discipline as foundations for a dharma-oriented kṣatriya.