Shloka 8

Karmic Aspirations, Demigod Worship, and the Supreme Duty of Bhakti

Hari-kathā as Life’s True Gain

Devanagari script

धर्मार्थ उत्तमश्लोकं तन्तु: तन्वन् पितृन् यजेत् । रक्षाकाम: पुण्यजनानोजस्कामो मरुद्गणान् ॥ ८ ॥

Transliteration

dharmārtha uttama-ślokaṁ tantuḥ tanvan pitṝn yajet rakṣā-kāmaḥ puṇya-janān ojas-kāmo marud-gaṇān

Translation

Für Dharma und das höchste Heil verehre man den Uttamaśloka Bhagavān; und zum Schutz der Linie und zum Gedeihen der Dynastie verehre man die Ahnen. Wer Schutz begehrt, verehre die Puṇyajanas; wer Kraft und Ojas begehrt, verehre die Scharen der Maruts.

Synonyms

• dharma-arthaḥ: dharma and artha (righteousness and prosperity)
• dharma-arthaḥ: Hetu (हेतु/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (धर्म प्रातिपदिक) + artha (अर्थ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana; itaretara-dvandva: dharmaś ca arthaś ca (dharma and artha)

• uttama-ślokam: Uttamaśloka (the Lord)
• uttama-ślokam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttama (उत्तम प्रातिपदिक) + śloka (श्लोक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: uttamaḥ ślokaḥ yasya (epithet ‘He whose praise is supreme’) used as proper name of Bhagavān

• tantuḥ: a thread/lineage
• tantuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tantu (तन्तु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana

• tanvan: continuing/expanding
• tanvan: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/participial qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tan (तन् धातु)
• Form: Vartamāna-kṛdanta (Present active participle/शतृ), Parasmaipada; Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; ‘stretching/continuing’

• pitṝn: the forefathers
• pitṝn: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (पितृ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative/2nd), Bahuvacana

• yajet: should worship
• yajet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yaj (यज् धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana, Parasmaipada

• rakṣā-kāmaḥ: one who desires protection
• rakṣā-kāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣā (रक्षा प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: rakṣāyāḥ kāmaḥ (desire for protection)

• puṇya-janān: the Puṇyajanas
• puṇya-janān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (पुण्य प्रातिपदिक) + jana (जन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; karmadhāraya: puṇyāḥ janāḥ (the ‘Puṇyajanas’, a class of beings)

• ojas-kāmaḥ: one who desires vigor
• ojas-kāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ojas (ओजस् प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: ojasaḥ kāmaḥ (desire for vigor)

• marud-gaṇān: the hosts of Maruts
• marud-gaṇān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: marut (मरुत् प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (गण प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; tatpuruṣa: marutāṁ gaṇāḥ (hosts of Maruts)

Purport

The path of religion entails making progress on the path of spiritual advancement, ultimately reviving the eternal relation with Lord Viṣṇu in His impersonal effulgence, His localized Paramātmā feature, and ultimately His personal feature by spiritual advancement in knowledge. And one who wants to establish a good dynasty and be happy in the progress of temporary bodily relations should take shelter of the Pitās and the demigods in other pious planets. Such different classes of worshipers of different demigods may ultimately reach the respective planets of those demigods within the universe, but he who reaches the spiritual planets in the brahmajyoti achieves the highest perfection.

Characters & Entities

• Uttamaśloka (Śrī Bhagavān)
• Pitṛs
• Puṇyajanas
• Maruts

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about worshiping devatas for protection or strength?

This verse notes that those seeking specific results may worship particular celestial beings—Puṇyajanas for protection and the Maruts for vigor—while placing the Supreme Lord (Uttamaśloka) at the center for dharma and higher purpose.

Why did Shukadeva Goswami describe different kinds of worship to King Parikshit?

Śukadeva explains graded Vedic approaches: people with different aims (dharma, prosperity, protection, strength) choose corresponding forms of worship, setting the stage for the Bhagavatam’s emphasis on ultimately turning toward pure devotion to the Supreme Lord.

How can this teaching be applied in modern life?

Recognize that chasing separate goals leads to separate methods and anxieties; prioritize devotion to the Supreme (Uttamaśloka) and let duties like honoring ancestors and seeking well-being be harmonized under a God-centered life.