Shloka 15

Cāturāśramya-dharma—Marks of the Four Āśramas (चातुराश्रम्यधर्मः)

Devanagari script

कथं धर्माक्षरिष्यन्ति सर्वे विषयवासिन: । मद्विधैश्व कथं स्थाप्या: सर्वे वै दस्युजीविन:

Transliteration

indra uvāca | kathaṃ dharmācariṣyanti sarve viṣayavāsinaḥ | madvidhaiś ca kathaṃ sthāpyāḥ sarve vai dasyujīvinaḥ |

Translation

Indra phán: “Làm sao tất cả những kẻ cư trú trong cõi nước có thể hành trì dharma? Và làm sao hết thảy những người sống bằng nghề trộm cướp, như phường dã tặc ấy, lại có thể được các bậc quân vương như ta kiềm chế và an định trong những giới hạn thích đáng?”

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteous conduct
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आचरिष्यन्ति: will practice/observe
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

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

• विषयवासिनः: inhabitants of the realm/districts
• विषयवासिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय-वासिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मत्-विधैः: by/with (kings) like me
• मत्-विधैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्-विध
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• स्थाप्याः: to be established/kept (within bounds)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (√स्था) → स्थाप्य (gerundive)
• Form: यत् (gerundive/obligative), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• दस्युजीविनः: those who live by robbery/banditry
• दस्युजीविनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दस्यु-जीविन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

इन्द्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Indra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a central problem of rājadharma: when a population includes people habituated to lawless livelihoods, the king must find means to bring them under ethical and legal restraint so that dharma can function in society.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra, as the speaker, raises a practical governance question: in a realm containing many inhabitants, including those living by robbery, how can they be made to follow dharma, and by what methods should rulers establish them within proper limits.