Shloka 6

तृष्णाक्षय-उपदेशः

Instruction on the Cessation of Craving

Devanagari script

यथा मातरमश्रित्य सर्वे जीवन्ति जन्तव: । एवं गार्हस्थ्यमाश्रित्य वर्तन्त इतराश्रमा:

Transliteration

yathā mātaram āśritya sarve jīvanti jantavaḥ | evaṁ gārhasthyam āśritya vartanta itarāśramāḥ ||

Translation

Kapila dạy rằng: cũng như mọi loài nương tựa nơi mẹ mà sống, các giai đoạn đời sống khác cũng chỉ bền vững khi nương vào āśrama của người gia chủ. Đời sống gia đình được trình bày như chỗ nâng đỡ của xã hội và của toàn bộ hệ thống dharma, vì nó nuôi dưỡng, che chở và chu cấp cho những người theo đuổi các kỷ luật khác.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• मातरम्: mother
• मातरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आश्रित्य: having taken refuge in / depending on
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जीवन्ति: live
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• जन्तवः: creatures / living beings
• जन्तवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एवम्: thus / in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• गार्हस्थ्यम्: the householder stage (gṛhastha-āśrama)
• गार्हस्थ्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हस्थ्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आश्रित्य: having taken refuge in / depending on
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• वर्तन्ते: exist / continue / are maintained
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• इतर: other
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आश्रमाः: stages of life (āśramas)
• आश्रमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

कपिल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• mātṛ (mother)
• gārhasthya (householder āśrama)
• itarāśramāḥ (other āśramas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches the interdependence of the four āśramas, emphasizing that gārhasthya (householder life) sustains the others—much like a mother sustains living beings—through support, provision, and protection within dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instructional discourse, Kapila speaks as a teacher, using a vivid simile (mother and creatures) to explain why the householder order is foundational for the functioning of the other life-stages.