Shloka 40

Brahma-vidyā: Satya–Tapas and the Enumeration of Tattvas

Arjuna–Vāsudeva framed dialogue

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारिकमेवाहुराश्रमं प्रथमं पदम्‌ । गार्हस्थ्यं तु द्वितीयं स्याद्‌ वानप्रस्थमत: परम्‌ | ततः परं तु विज्ञेयमध्यात्मं परमं पदम्‌

Transliteration

brahmacārikam evāhur āśramaṁ prathamaṁ padam | gārhasthyaṁ tu dvitīyaṁ syād vānaprastham ataḥ param || tataḥ paraṁ tu vijñeyam adhyātmaṁ paramaṁ padam |

Translation

Sa mga āśrama, itinuturing na ang brahmacarya (disiplina ng mag-aaral) ang unang yugto. Ang gṛhastha (pamumuhay bilang maybahay) ang ikalawa, at kasunod nito ang vānaprastha (paninirahan sa gubat). Higit pa sa mga ito, dapat maunawaan na ang sukdulang kalagayan ay ang panloob na landas ng adhyātma—ang sannyāsa, ang pagtalikod, kung saan ang pagkakilala sa Sarili (Ātman) ang pinakamahalaga.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचारिकम्: brahmacarya (the student stage)
• ब्रह्मचारिकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• आहुः: they say/call
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• आश्रमम्: the āśrama (stage of life)
• आश्रमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रथमम्: first
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पदम्: step/place
• पदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गार्हस्थ्यम्: householder stage
• गार्हस्थ्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हस्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• द्वितीयम्: second
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• स्यात्: would be/is said to be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Optative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वानप्रस्थम्: forest-dweller stage
• वानप्रस्थम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अतः: thereafter/from that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः

• परम्: next/after
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• परम्: beyond/after that
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तु: indeed/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• विज्ञेयम्: to be known/should be understood
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्/यत् sense), Neuter, Nominative, Singular, Passive sense

• अध्यात्मम्: the spiritual (self-knowledge) path
• अध्यात्मम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्यात्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• परमम्: supreme
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पदम्: state/goal
• पदम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Human life is structured as progressive āśramas: disciplined learning (brahmacarya), responsible social duty (gārhasthya), gradual withdrawal (vānaprastha), and finally the supreme pursuit—adhyātma, the inward realization of the Self, identified with renunciant life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu is instructing the listener by outlining the traditional sequence of life-stages and emphasizing that the culmination of this progression is the highest goal: spiritual realization (adhyātma), associated with renunciation.