द्विविधाश्रमःThe two stages of life
Verse 6
एतेषां सर्ववर्णानामाश्रमौ द्वौ महेश्वरि । तेषामाचारधर्मांश्च शृणुष्वाद्ये वदामि ते ॥ ६ ॥
ētēṣāṁ sarvavarṇānāmāśramau dvau mahēśvari | tēṣāmācāradharmāṁśca śṛṇuṣvādyē vadāmi tē || 6 ||
Translation
For all these classes there are two stages of life, Maheśvarī; and their duties of conduct, O Ādyā, I tell you: listen.
Word by word
- ētēṣāṁ
- of these
- sarva
- all
- varṇānām
- (varṇānām) the classes
- āśramau
- stages of life
- dvau
- two
- mahēśvari
- O Maheśvarī
- tēṣām
- (teṣām) their
- ācāra
- of conduct
- dharmāṁś
- (dharmān) the duties
- ca
- and
- śṛṇuṣva
- listen
- ādyē
- O Ādyā
- vadāmi
- I tell
- tē
- you
Meaning
All five classes, without distinction, have the same two āśramas in the Kali age, which the next verses name: the householder's and the renunciant's. The commentary reads the "dharmas of conduct" (ācāra-dharma) as the duties of each class and each stage, which Śiva now promises to set out. The equality of access is the point: the older law reserved the higher stages for the "twice-born" (the first three classes); here every class is given both.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
"Eteṣām…". O Ādyā, Maheśvarī, of these, of all the varṇas beginning with the brāhmaṇa, there are two āśramas; their duties, which are the conduct of the varṇas and āśramas, I tell you; you listen: this is the construction.