Shloka 23

परिव्राजक-आचारः (Conduct of the Wandering Renunciant) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 269

Devanagari script

तं॑ सन्‍्तो विधिवत प्राप्य गच्छन्ति परमां गतिम्‌ | गृहेभ्य एव निष्क्रम्य वनमन्ये समाश्रिता:

Transliteration

taṁ santaḥ vidhivat prāpya gacchanti paramāṁ gatim | gṛhebhya eva niṣkramya vanam anye samāśritāḥ ||

Translation

Kapila nói: “Sau khi bước vào con đường ấy đúng phép, bậc hiền trí đạt đến mục tiêu tối thượng. Có người rời đời gia thất mà vào rừng; có người nương theo nếp sống của bậc cư lâm (vānaprastha). Như vậy, bằng cách nhập các giai đoạn đời sống một cách chính đáng và giữ trọn bổn phận của mình, họ đạt đến cảnh giới tối cao.”

Word by Word

• तम्: him/that (goal/state)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सन्तः: the good/virtuous people
• सन्तः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विधि-वत्: according to rule, duly
• विधि-वत्: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत्

• प्राप्य: having attained
• प्राप्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• गच्छन्ति: they go
• गच्छन्ति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गतिम्: state/goal, destination
• गतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

कपिल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• santaḥ (the wise/virtuous)
• gṛha (household)
• vana (forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Liberation is reached by the virtuous through disciplined, rule-guided practice of dharma—especially by properly entering and observing the duties of one’s life-stage (āśrama), whether remaining a householder or moving toward forest-life and renunciation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kapila is instructing about the paths followed by the wise: some leave household life and go to the forest, while others adopt different regulated modes of life. The emphasis is on orderly transition and faithful observance of prescribed duties leading to the supreme goal.