Shloka 8

परिव्राजक-आचारः (Conduct of the Wandering Renunciant) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 269

Devanagari script

आसन गृहस्था भूयिष्ठा अव्युत्क्रान्ता: स्वकर्मसु । राजानश्न तथा युक्ता ब्राह्मणाश्न यथाविधि

Transliteration

āsan gṛhasthā bhūyiṣṭhā avyutkrāntāḥ svakarmasu | rājānaś ca tathā yuktā brāhmaṇāś ca yathāvidhi ||

Translation

迦毗罗说道：“在往昔之世，许多人——尤以居家者为多——坚守各自所当行之本分，不曾退转。诸王克己尽职，婆罗门亦复如是，依正法仪轨如理行其所命之业，以无私之心而为。”

Word by Word

• आसन्: were
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3, plural, परस्मैपद

• गृहस्थाः: householders
• गृहस्थाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• भूयिष्ठाः: very many / most numerous
• भूयिष्ठाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूयिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural, superlative

• अव्युत्क्रान्ताः: not deviated / not having departed
• अव्युत्क्रान्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्युत्क्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from व्युत्-क्रम् with नञ्)
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural, क्त (past passive participle), अ- (नञ्), व्युत्-

• स्वकर्मसु: in their own duties
• स्वकर्मसु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, locative, plural

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

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

• तथा: likewise / in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• युक्ताः: engaged / devoted
• युक्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from युज्)
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• ब्राह्मणाः: brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

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

• यथाविधि: according to rule / duly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)

Speaker

कपिल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• Kings (rājānaḥ)
• Brahmins (brāhmaṇāḥ)
• Householders (gṛhasthāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Kapila emphasizes that spiritual and ethical excellence does not require abandoning the householder life; rather, one should remain steady in one’s own prescribed duties and perform them properly (yathāvidhi) with disciplined, selfless intent (niṣkāma-bhāva).

What is happening in the narrative?

Kapila is citing the precedent of earlier times: many householders—including kings and Brahmins—fulfilled their respective roles without deviating from duty, illustrating that dharma can be upheld through faithful performance of one’s social and ritual responsibilities.