Shloka 48

Devanagari script

कर्मभि: शुचिभिर्देवि शुद्धात्मा विजितेन्द्रिय: । शूद्रो5पि द्विजवत्‌ सेव्य इति ब्रह्माब्रवीत्‌ स्‍्वयम्‌,देवि! शूद्र भी यदि जितेन्द्रिय होकर पवित्र कर्मोके अनुष्ठानसे अपने अन्तःकरणको शुद्ध बना लेता है, वह द्विजकी ही भाँति सेव्य होता है--यह साक्षात्‌ ब्रह्माजीका कथन है

Transliteration

karmabhiḥ śucibhir devi śuddhātmā vijitendriyaḥ | śūdro 'pi dvijavat sevya iti brahmābravīt svayam, devi ||

Translation

Maheshvara sprach: „O Göttin, selbst ein Śūdra—wenn er durch reine Taten sein Inneres läutert und seine Sinne bezwingt—wird würdig, wie ein Zweimalgeborener geehrt und bedient zu werden. Dies, o Devi, hat Brahmā selbst unmittelbar verkündet.“

Word by Word

कर्मभिःby (means of) deeds/rites

शुचिभिःpure

देविO goddess

शुद्धात्माone whose inner self is purified

विजितेन्द्रियःhaving conquered the senses

शूद्रःa Shudra

अपिeven/also

द्विजवत्like a twice-born (dvija)

सेव्यःto be served/honoured

इतिthus

ब्रह्माBrahmā

अब्रवीत्said/spoke

स्वयम्himself

देविO goddess

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrī Mahēśvara (Śiva)

Devī (addressed as Devi; likely Umā/Pārvatī in this dialogue)

Brahmā

Śūdra

Dvija (twice-born)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Worthiness for honor is grounded in ethical conduct: purity of actions, inner purification, and mastery over the senses can make even one socially labeled a Śūdra deserving of the same respect accorded to a dvija.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mahēśvara addresses Devī and cites Brahmā’s authoritative statement to affirm that spiritual and moral excellence—shown through pure deeds and self-restraint—confers social and religious esteem, transcending birth-based distinctions.