Shanti Parva Adhyaya 243 Shloka 23 - Mahabharata | Chinese | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 23

कामबन्धन-निवृत्ति तथा शान्तिलक्षण-उपदेशः | Release from Desire-Bondage and the Marks of Peace

Devanagari script

परं परं तथैवाहुश्नातुराश्रम्यमेव तत्‌ । यथोक्ता नियमास्तेषां सर्व कार्य बुभूषता

Transliteration

paraṁ paraṁ tathaivāhuḥ snātur āśramyam eva tat | yathoktā niyamās teṣāṁ sarva-kārya-bubhūṣatā ||

Translation

毗耶娑说道：“因此，人们宣称四种住期（āśrama）依次更为殊胜，后者高于前者。故而，欲成就一切目标与义务之人，应依经典所教，遵守各住期所规定的戒律与修持。”

Word by Word

परम्higher/superior (as object of saying)

परम्higher (again; successive superiority)

तथाthus/in that manner

एवindeed/just

आहुःthey say/declare

श्नातुःof the bath-taker (i.e., of the householder/one who has taken the bath)

आश्रम्यम्the (next) āśrama-stage / hermitage-stage

एवindeed/only

तत्that (stage/that one)

यथाas/according to how

उक्ताःstated/declared

नियमाःrules/observances

तेषाम्of them (of those āśramas)

सर्वम्all (entirely)

कार्यम्to be done/that which should be done

बुभूषताby one wishing to become/prosper (i.e., seeking advancement)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

āśrama (the four life-stages)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the four āśramas are viewed as an ascending spiritual-ethical progression, and that one seeking true accomplishment should follow the śāstra-prescribed disciplines (niyamas) appropriate to each stage.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa states a normative principle about āśrama-dharma: the life-stages are ranked as successively higher, and their scriptural rules should be practiced by a person intent on overall welfare and attainment.