Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

बहुश्र॒त्या गुरुशुश्रूषया च परस्परं संहननाद्‌ वदन्ति । नित्यं॑ धर्म क्षत्रियो ब्रह्म॒चारी चरेदेको ह्माश्रमं धर्मकाम:

Transliteration

bahuśratyā guruśuśrūṣayā ca parasparaṃ saṃhananād vadanti | nityaṃ dharma kṣatriyo brahmacārī cared eko hy āśramaṃ dharmakāmaḥ ||

Translation

Indra nói: “Nhờ học rộng và nhờ phụng sự thầy một lòng, người ta mới có thể nói năng hòa hợp với nhau. Một kṣatriya luôn chuyên chú nơi dharma nên sống như một brahmacārin, thực hành một āśrama duy nhất—kiên định theo đuổi chính đạo.”

Word by Word

बहुश्रुत्याby much learning/erudition

गुरुशुश्रूषयाby service to the teacher

चand

परस्परम्mutually/with one another

संहननात्from close association/union

वदन्तिthey say/speak

नित्यम्always

धर्मम्dharma/righteous duty

क्षत्रियःa Kshatriya

ब्रह्मचारीa brahmacārin (celibate student)

चरेत्should practice/should follow

एकःalone/single

हindeed (emphatic particle)

आश्रमम्the āśrama (stage of life/discipline)

धर्मकामःdesirous of dharma

Speaker

इन्द्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Indra

guru (teacher)

kṣatriya

brahmacārī

āśrama

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Learning (bahuśruti) and humble service to the teacher (guruśuśrūṣā) cultivate disciplined, harmonious speech and understanding; for a kṣatriya devoted to dharma, the verse emphasizes steadfast adherence to a defined life-discipline—here framed as brahmacarya and commitment to one āśrama.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra is instructing on right conduct: he links moral and social stability to education under a guru and to regulated life-practice, presenting brahmacarya and āśrama-discipline as foundations for a dharma-oriented kṣatriya.