Shloka 38

Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)

Devanagari script

शूद्रान्नवर्जनं धर्मस्तथा सत्पथसेवनम्‌ । धर्मो नित्योपवासित्वं॑ ब्रह्मचर्य तथैव च

Transliteration

śūdrānna-varjanaṁ dharmas tathā satpatha-sevanam | dharmo nityopavāsitvaṁ brahmacarya tathaiva ca ||

Translation

Śrī Maheśvara sprach: „Für einen Brāhmaṇa ist es Pflicht, keine Speise von einem Śūdra anzunehmen. Ebenso ist das Festhalten am guten Pfad—der Umgang mit Rechtschaffenen und das Üben rechter Lebensführung—Dharma. Auch die Disziplin regelmäßigen Fastens und die Bewahrung des brahmacarya sind Dharma.“

Word by Word

• शूद्रान्न: from śūdra-food / from food of a śūdra
• शूद्रान्न: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र + अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• वर्जनम्: avoidance, abstaining
• वर्जनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्जन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मः: dharma, duty
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: and likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• सत्पथ: the good path, right path
• सत्पथ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् + पथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सेवनम्: practice, resorting to
• सेवनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मः: dharma, duty
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नित्य: constant, daily
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• उपवासित्वम्: the state/practice of fasting
• उपवासित्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवासित्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: celibacy, student-discipline
• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Maheśvara (Śiva)
• śūdra
• brāhmaṇa (implied by the rule stated)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is presented as disciplined conduct: maintaining prescribed boundaries in accepting food, actively following the righteous path (satpatha), and cultivating self-restraint through regular fasting and brahmacarya.

What is happening in the narrative?

Maheśvara is instructing about dharma by listing concrete observances—social-ritual restraint regarding food and personal austerities—framing them as supports for ethical life and spiritual steadiness.