Shloka 14
Cāturāśramya-dharma—Marks of the Four Āśramas (चातुराश्रम्यधर्मः)
पौण्ड्रा: पुलिन्दा रमठा: काम्बोजाश्ैव सर्वश: । ब्रह्मक्षत्रप्रसूताश्व वैश्या: शूद्राक्ष मानवा:
pauṇḍrāḥ pulindā ramaṭhāḥ kāmbojāś caiva sarvaśaḥ | brahma-kṣatra-prasūtāś ca vaiśyāḥ śūdrāś ca mānavāḥ ||
Sabi ni Indra: “Ang mga Pauṇḍra, Pulinda, Ramaṭha, at Kāmboja—sa iba’t ibang dako—kasama ng mga ipinanganak mula sa mga Brāhmaṇa at Kṣatriya, at gayundin yaong itinuturing na Vaiśya at Śūdra: ang lahat ng pangkat na ito ng tao ay matatagpuan sa mga mamamayan ng hanggahan. (Ang ikinababahala ng hari ay) marami ang lumihis sa dharma at nabubuhay sa pagnanakaw at karahasan; kaya itinatanong niya kung paano maihahatid ang gayong mga pamayanan sa matuwid na asal, at kung paano sila dapat itatag ng isang hari sa loob ng kaayusang panlipunan at moral.”
इन्द्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a royal-ethical problem: diverse and socially mixed frontier communities, some viewed as having fallen from dharma, must be guided by the king toward lawful livelihood and moral restraint. It foregrounds the king’s duty to establish order and encourage dharmic conduct rather than allow predation and social breakdown.
Indra is speaking in response to a king’s query (in this chapter’s dialogue) about how to govern populations described as mleccha and socially heterogeneous—descendants of various varṇas—who are said to survive by theft and raiding. The king asks how they can practice dharma and how rulers should keep them within proper limits.