Description of Varṇāśrama-dharma
भिक्षोर्धर्म: शमोऽहिंसा तप ईक्षा वनौकस: । गृहिणो भूतरक्षेज्या द्विजस्याचार्यसेवनम् ॥ ४२ ॥
Transliteration
bhikṣor dharmaḥ śamo ’hiṁsā tapa īkṣā vanaukasaḥ gṛhiṇo bhūta-rakṣejyā dvijasyācārya-sevanam
Synonyms (Word-for-Word)
bhikṣoḥ — of a sannyāsī; dharmaḥ — the main religious principle; śamaḥ — equanimity; ahiṁsā — nonviolence; tapaḥ — austerity; īkṣā — discrimination (between the body and the soul); vana — in the forest; okasaḥ — of one dwelling, a vānaprastha; gṛhiṇaḥ — of a householder; bhūta-rakṣā — offering shelter to all living entities; ijyā — performance of sacrifice; dvi-jasya — of a brahmacārī; ācārya — the spiritual master; sevanam — serving.
Translation
“The main religious duties of a sannyāsī are equanimity and nonviolence, whereas for the vānaprastha austerity and philosophical understanding of the difference between the body and soul are prominent. The main duties of a householder are to give shelter to all living entities and perform sacrifices, and the brahmacārī is mainly engaged in serving the spiritual master.”