Shloka 28

चत्वारि यस्य द्वाराणि सुगुप्तान्यमरोत्तमा: । उपस्थमुदरं हस्तौ वाक्‌ चतुर्थी स धर्मवित्‌,देवेश्वरो! जिस पुरुषके उपस्थ, उदर, दोनों हाथ और वाणी--ये चारों द्वार सुरक्षित होते हैं, वही धर्मज्ञ है

catvāri yasya dvārāṇi sugupṭāny amarottamāḥ | upastham udaraṁ hastau vāk caturthī sa dharmavit ||

Wika ng Sisne: “O pinakadakila sa mga walang-kamatayan, ang taong mahusay na nagbabantay sa apat na ‘pintuan’—pagnanasang seksuwal, ang tiyan (gana), ang dalawang kamay (mga gawa), at ang pananalita bilang ikaapat—siya ang tunay na nakaaalam ng dharma.”

चत्वारिfour
चत्वारि:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
यस्यof whom/whose
यस्य:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular
द्वाराणिgates/doors
द्वाराणि:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootद्वार
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
सुगुप्तानिwell-guarded
सुगुप्तानि:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसुगुप्त
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
अमर-उत्तमाःO best of the immortals
अमर-उत्तमाः:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootअमर + उत्तम
FormMasculine, Vocative, Plural
उपस्थम्the genital organ
उपस्थम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootउपस्थ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
उदरम्the belly
उदरम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootउदर
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
हस्तौthe two hands
हस्तौ:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootहस्त
FormMasculine, Accusative, Dual
वाक्speech
वाक्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवाच्
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
चतुर्थीthe fourth
चतुर्थी:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्थ
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
धर्म-वित्knower of dharma
धर्म-वित्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म + विद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
देव-ईश्वरःO lord of the gods
देव-ईश्वरः:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootदेव + ईश्वर
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

हंस उवाच

H
Haṃsa (the Swan, speaker)
A
Amarottama (addressed divine being)

Educational Q&A

Dharma is grounded in disciplined self-restraint: guarding desire (sex), appetite (food), actions (hands), and speech. Mastery over these channels prevents harm and cultivates ethical clarity.

In a didactic exchange within the Śānti Parva, the Haṃsa (Swan) delivers a concise moral definition of a ‘knower of dharma,’ using the metaphor of four guarded gates that regulate human conduct.