Shloka 4

Āśrama-dharma and Brahmacarya: Śuka’s Inquiry on Karma and Tyāga (शुक-प्रश्नः कर्मत्यागविवेकश्च)

Devanagari script

आचार्येणाभ्यनुज्ञातश्चतुर्णामेकमा श्रमम्‌ । आविमोक्षाच्छरीरस्य सोडवतिछेद्‌ यथाविधि

Transliteration

ācāryeṇābhyanujñātaś caturṇām ekam āśramam | āvimokṣāc charīrasya soḍavatīcched yathāvidhi ||

Translation

毗耶娑说：既蒙师长许可，当入四住期（āśrama）之一，依经典之法安住其戒行，直至此身终将舍弃之时——（或亦可依其正序，次第经历四住期）。

Word by Word

• आचार्येण: by the teacher
• आचार्येण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अभ्यनुज्ञातः: permitted/authorized
• अभ्यनुज्ञातः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-अनु-ज्ञा
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चतुर्णाम्: of the four
• चतुर्णाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आश्रमम्: stage of life (āśrama)
• आश्रमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आ: up to; until
• आ: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ

• विमोक्षात्: until release
• विमोक्षात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमोक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• शरीरस्य: of the body
• शरीरस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• षोडवति: in the sixteenth (year/age)
• षोडवति: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडवत्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• छेत्: should cut off/should sever
• छेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular

• यथा: as; according to
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• विधि: rule; prescribed procedure
• विधि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• ācārya (teacher/preceptor)
• catur-āśrama (the four āśramas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is to be lived through a regulated life-stage (āśrama) chosen with the preceptor’s sanction, and followed faithfully according to śāstra—either remaining in one āśrama for life or progressing through the traditional sequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is laying down a normative rule of conduct: after receiving the ācārya’s approval, a person adopts an āśrama-based way of life and maintains it in scripturally prescribed fashion until death (or moves step-by-step through the āśramas).