Shloka 10

Devanagari script

केचिन्मोक्ष॑ प्रशंसन्ति केचिद्‌ यज्ञफलं द्विजा: । वानप्रस्थाश्रया: केचिद्‌ गार्हस्थ्यं केचिदास्थिता:

Transliteration

kecin mokṣaṁ praśaṁsanti kecid yajñaphalaṁ dvijāḥ | vānaprasthāśrayāḥ kecid gārhasthyaṁ kecid āsthitāḥ ||

Translation

婆罗门说道：“有人称颂解脱（moksha），也有人——噢，二次生者——赞美祭祀（yajña）之果报。有人依止林居者（vānaprastha）之戒行，有人则安住于居家者（gṛhastha）之道。”

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क- (किम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रशंसन्ति: praise
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• केचित्: some (others)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क- (किम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यज्ञफलम्: the fruit/result of sacrifice
• यज्ञफलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ-फल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• द्विजाः: Brahmins / twice-born
• द्विजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वानप्रस्थाश्रयाः: those who take refuge in the forest-dweller (vānaprastha) mode
• वानप्रस्थाश्रयाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वानप्रस्थ-आश्रय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• केचित्: some (others)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क- (किम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गार्हस्थ्यम्: householder life/duty
• गार्हस्थ्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हस्थ्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• केचित्: some (others)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क- (किम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आस्थिताः: having adopted / resorted to
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa (speaker)
• dvijāḥ (twice-born persons)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the plurality of dharmic aims and disciplines: some prioritize mokṣa (liberation), others pursue ritual action for its meritorious results, and people align themselves with different āśramas (householder or forest-dweller). It frames a discussion on how varied paths are advocated within the tradition.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa speaker is describing the diversity of viewpoints among the twice-born regarding the highest good and proper conduct—contrasting praise of liberation with praise of sacrificial rewards, and noting differing commitments to the gṛhastha and vānaprastha stages.