Shloka 15
महाभूत–इन्द्रिय–मनस्–बुद्धि–अन्तरात्मा विवेकः | Discrimination of Elements, Senses, Mind, Intellect, and Inner Self
चतुर्थश्नौपनिषदो धर्म: साधारण: स्मृत: । वानप्रस्थाद् गृहस्थाच्च ततो<न्य: सम्प्रवर्तते
vyāsa uvāca | caturthaś ca upaniṣado dharmaḥ sādhāraṇaḥ smṛtaḥ | vānaprasthād gṛhasthāc ca tato 'nyaḥ sampravartate ||
Sinabi ni Vyāsa: “Ang dharma na itinuturo sa mga Upaniṣad—na lalo nang iniuugnay sa ikaapat na āśrama (saṃnyāsa)—ay inaalala bilang ‘sādhāraṇa’, ibig sabihi’y pangkalahatan at dapat linangin ng tao sa lahat ng yugto ng buhay. Ngunit ang natatanging disiplina ng ikaapat na āśrama ay umuusad sa ibang paraan kaysa sa disiplina ng maybahay at ng naninirahan sa gubat (vānaprastha).”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Upaniṣadic inner disciplines—restraint, calm, endurance, and collectedness—are universal duties (sādhāraṇa-dharma) for all āśramas, even though the specific lifestyle and obligations of saṃnyāsa differ from those of the householder and forest-dweller.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and life-stages, Vyāsa clarifies how renunciant teachings relate to the broader āśrama system: the inner ethical virtues are shared across stages, while the formal duties of the fourth stage (saṃnyāsa) are distinct.