Shloka 1
Varṇāśrama-ācāra, Aśauca (Sūtaka) Regulations, and Prāyaścitta with Funeral-Rite Notes
नाम पडुत्तरशततमो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच / पराशरो ऽब्रवीद्व्यासं धर्मं वर्णाश्रमादिकम् / कल्पेकल्पे क्षयोत्पत्त्या क्षीयन्ते नु प्रजादयः
nāma paḍuttaraśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca / parāśaro 'bravīdvyāsaṃ dharmaṃ varṇāśramādikam / kalpekalpe kṣayotpattyā kṣīyante nu prajādayaḥ
‘নাম’ নামৰ একশ সাততম অধ্যায়। সূতে ক’লে—পৰাশৰে ব্যাসক বৰ্ণাশ্ৰমাদি-আৰম্ভক ধৰ্ম ক’লে। কল্পে কল্পে ক্ষয়-উৎপত্তিৰ চক্রে প্ৰজা আদি কি সঁচাকৈ ক্ষীণ হয় নে?
Sūta
Concept: Varṇāśrama-dharma is taught within vast kalpa cycles; beings diminish through repeated dissolution and recreation—prompting inquiry into sustaining dharma amid decline.
Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra’s cyclicality (kalpa-pralaya) and the need for dharma as stabilizing discipline; impermanence of prajā within cosmic time.
Application: Treat ethical duties as enduring supports even amid societal change; cultivate long-view responsibility and humility about historical decline.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: forest hermitage / discourse setting
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.107 (chapter opening into varṇāśrama-dharma exposition)
FAQs
This verse frames the chapter as a teaching on dharma beginning with varṇa and āśrama duties, presenting ethical order as a foundational lens for understanding human life and spiritual progress.
Indirectly: by introducing dharma as the governing principle, it implies that one’s conduct within ordained duties shapes outcomes across time and cycles, preparing the ground for later teachings on post-death consequences.
Live with discipline and responsibility appropriate to your stage of life and role, using dharma as a guide—especially when social or personal conditions feel unstable or in decline.