Shloka 15

Ātma-saṃyama-dharma: One-pointedness of Mind and Senses (शुक–व्यास संवादः)

Devanagari script

चतुष्पदी हि नि:श्रेणी ब्रह्मण्येषा प्रतिष्िता । एतामारुहा[ नि:श्रेणीं ब्रह्मलोके महीयते

Transliteration

catuṣpadī hi niḥśreṇī brahmaṇy eṣā pratiṣṭhitā | etām āruhya niḥśreṇīṁ brahmaloke mahīyate ||

Translation

Bốn āśrama ấy quả thật đặt nền trong Brahman, và được xem như chiếc thang bốn bậc đưa đến Brahman. Ai bước lên chiếc thang ấy sẽ được tôn vinh nơi cõi Brahmaloka.

Word by Word

• चतुष्पदी: four-stepped
• चतुष्पदी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुष्पद
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• निःश्रेणी: ladder/stairway
• निःश्रेणी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निःश्रेणी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मण्या: leading to Brahman / pertaining to Brahman
• ब्रह्मण्या: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मण्य
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रतिष्ठिता: established/founded
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-स्था
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• एताम्: this (her/it)
• एताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आरुह्य: having climbed
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)

• निःश्रेणीम्: the ladder/stairway
• निःश्रेणीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निःश्रेणी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रह्मलोके: in the world of Brahman
• ब्रह्मलोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मलोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• महीयते: is honored/is glorified
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह्
• Form: Present (Lat), Atmanepada (passive sense), Third, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Brahman
• Brahmaloka
• niḥśreṇī (four-stepped ladder, metaphor)
• catuṣpadī (four steps, implying the four āśramas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the four āśramas (stages of life) function like a four-rung ladder grounded in Brahman; by properly living and completing this graded discipline, one becomes fit for the highest spiritual honor—attainment of Brahmaloka/realization oriented toward Brahman.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is explaining a doctrinal point within Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma: he frames the āśrama system as a structured path of ascent, emphasizing its spiritual purpose rather than merely social organization.