ŚB 7.12.16
Devanagari
एवं विधो ब्रह्मचारी वानप्रस्थो यतिर्गृही ।
चरन्विदितविज्ञान: परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति ॥ १६ ॥
चरन्विदितविज्ञान: परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति ॥ १६ ॥
Verse text
evaṁ vidho brahmacārī
vānaprastho yatir gṛhī
caran vidita-vijñānaḥ
paraṁ brahmādhigacchati
vānaprastho yatir gṛhī
caran vidita-vijñānaḥ
paraṁ brahmādhigacchati
Synonyms
evam vidhaḥ — in this way; brahmacārī — whether one is a brahmacārī; vānaprasthaḥ — or one is in the vānaprastha-āśrama; yatiḥ — or in the sannyāsa-āśrama; gṛhī — or in the gṛhastha-āśrama; caran — by practice of self-realization and understanding of the Absolute Truth; vidita-vijñānaḥ — fully conversant with the science of the Absolute Truth; param — the Supreme; brahma — the Absolute Truth; adhigacchati — one can understand.
Translation
By practicing in this way, whether one be in the brahmacārī-āśrama, gṛhastha-āśrama, vānaprastha-āśrama or sannyāsa-āśrama, one must always realize the all-pervading presence of the Supreme Lord, for in this way it is possible to understand the Absolute Truth.
Purport
This is the beginning of self-realization. One must first understand how Brahman is present everywhere and how He is acting. This education is called brahma-jijñāsā and is the real concern of human life. Without such knowledge, one cannot claim to be a human being; rather, he remains in the animal kingdom. As it is said, sa eva go-kharaḥ: without such knowledge, one is no better than a cow or an ass.