Shloka 45

Instruction on All Dharma

in the context of Rāma’s Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

सर्वदा ब्रह्मचारी ह विज्ञेयः स गृहाश्रमी । ऋतुः षोडशयामिन्यश्चतस्रस्ता सुगर्हिताः

Transliteration

sarvadā brahmacārī ha vijñeyaḥ sa gṛhāśramī | ṛtuḥ ṣoḍaśayāminyaścatasrastā sugarhitāḥ

Translation

గృహస్థుడూ సర్వదా బ్రహ్మచారివలె సంయమిగా భావించబడాలి. ఋతువు (గర్భాధానకాలం) పదహారు రాత్రులు; మిగిలిన నాలుగు రాత్రులు అత్యంత గర్హితమని చెప్పబడినవి.

Word by Word

• sarvadā: always
• sarvadā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• brahmacārī: a celibate; brahmacārin
• brahmacārī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ha: indeed
• ha: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• vijñeyaḥ: is to be known/considered
• vijñeyaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + √jñā (ज्ञा), jñeya (प्रातिपदिक; gerundive)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्; कृदन्त—य-प्रत्यय (gerundive) ‘to be known/considered’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• gṛhāśramī: a householder (in the gṛhastha-āśrama)
• gṛhāśramī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक) + āśramin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (gṛhasya āśramī / gṛhāśrame vartate)

• ṛtuḥ: the (fertile) season/period
• ṛtuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ṣoḍaśa-yāminyaḥ: the sixteen nights
• ṣoḍaśa-yāminyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣoḍaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + yāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विगुः (ṣoḍaśa yāminyaḥ)

• catasraḥ: four
• catasraḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (yāminyaḥ)

• tāḥ: those
• tāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (yāminyaḥ इत्यस्य निर्देशः)

• su-garhitāḥ: highly censured
• su-garhitāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + garhita (प्रातिपदिक; √garh गर्ह्, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (tāḥ/yāminyaḥ); समासः—कर्मधारयः (su + garhitāḥ)

Speaker

Unspecified (context-dependent within Padma Purana dialogues; commonly framed as a teaching voice within the narrative)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: ṣoḍaśayāminyaḥ + catasraḥ + tāḥ → ṣoḍaśayāminyaścatasrastāḥ; nirukti: ‘of the sixteen nights, four are censured’ (elliptic construction).

FAQs

What does this verse teach about gṛhastha (householder) life?

It frames ideal household life as rooted in brahmacarya—self-control and disciplined conduct—rather than indulgence, even while living as a householder.

What is meant by “ṛtuḥ ṣoḍaśa-yāminyaḥ” (the season of sixteen nights)?

It refers to the traditionally recognized fertile/proper period for conception counted as sixteen nights within the relevant cycle.

What is the ethical lesson conveyed by calling four nights “sugarhitāḥ” (reprehensible)?

The verse promotes restraint and rule-governed conduct, indicating that certain times are discouraged, and that ethical living includes knowing and observing such boundaries.