Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

प्रजासर्गेण दारैश्न ब्रह्मचर्येण वा पुन: । वने गुरुसकाशे वा यतिधर्मेण वा पुन:

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | prajāsargeṇa dāraiś ca brahmacaryeṇa vā punaḥ | vane gurusakāśe vā yatidharmeṇa vā punaḥ ||

Translation

毗耶娑说：人可以选择以居家之法护持法（dharma）——娶妻成家，繁衍子嗣；亦可再者，终身守梵行（brahmacarya）。或居于林野，行林栖之道；或依止师侧；或复依出离者之律（saṃnyāsa）而住。是故，正当的人生道路不止一端，皆以自制与正行为根基。

Word by Word

• प्रजासर्गेण: by procreation/creation of offspring
• प्रजासर्गेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा-सर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• दारैः: by/with wives (marriage)
• दारैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• न: or/and (here as a connective in some recensions); also can mean 'not' contextually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• ब्रह्मचर्येण: by celibacy (brahmacarya)
• ब्रह्मचर्येण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• पुनः: again/further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• गुरु-सकाशे: in the presence of the teacher
• गुरु-सकाशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु-सकाश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• यति-धर्मेण: by the ascetic's discipline (renunciant dharma)
• यति-धर्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति-धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• पुनः: again/further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• guru (teacher)
• vana (forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse affirms that dharma can be pursued through multiple sanctioned life-paths—householder life with progeny, lifelong celibacy, forest-dwelling discipline, service near a guru, or renunciant practice—emphasizing that ethical living depends on disciplined conduct rather than a single uniform lifestyle.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instructional setting, Vyāsa is presenting a normative teaching on permissible modes of life and spiritual discipline, outlining alternative commitments a person may adopt according to aptitude and intention.