Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अनुच्छेदाय लोकानामनुच्छेदाय कर्मणाम्‌ | पूर्वराचरितो धर्मश्नातुराश्रम्यसंकट:,पहलेके विद्वान्‌ लोकमर्यादाकी तथा कर्मपरम्पराकी रक्षा करनेके लिये चारों आश्रमोंसहित वर्णधर्मोका पालन करते थे

Transliteration

Janaka uvāca: anucchedāya lokānām anucchedāya karmaṇām | pūrvar ācārito dharmaḥ śnātur āśramya-saṅkaṭaḥ ||

Translation

阇那迦说：“为使世人不致紊乱，为使正行之相续不断，古人奉行自古相传之法：完成学生之戒律后，便循诸阿湿罗摩之阶段，进入严峻的人生行程。由此，他们维系社会秩序，守护世代相承的职责之流。”

Word by Word

• अनुच्छेदाय: for the non-destruction/continuance
• अनुच्छेदाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुच्छेद
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/people
• लोकानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अनुच्छेदाय: for the non-destruction/continuance
• अनुच्छेदाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुच्छेद
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• कर्मणाम्: of actions/rites
• कर्मणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• पूर्वैः: by the former (people/elders)
• पूर्वैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आचरितः: practised/observed
• आचरितः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आचर्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मः: dharma, righteous duty
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• आश्रम्य: having resorted to an āśrama / in the state of an āśrama
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम
• Form: Masculine

• संकटः: distressed/afflicted; in difficulty
• संकटः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janaka

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is upheld by maintaining continuity—preventing social and ritual-moral breakdown—through faithful practice of inherited duties, especially the disciplined progression through the āśramas after completing studentship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janaka explains why earlier sages and learned people followed the established dharma: to protect public order (loka-maryādā) and preserve the ongoing tradition of duties and practices (karma-paramparā), even when that life-path is demanding.