Shloka 41

Agni’s Withdrawal to the Forest and Identification with Āṅgirasa (अग्न्याङ्गिरस-इतिहासः)

Devanagari script

दुर्ज्ेयः शाश्व॒तो धर्म: स च सत्ये प्रतिष्ठित: श्रुतिप्रमाणो धर्म: स्यादिति वृद्धानुशासनम्‌,धर्मज्ञ पुरुष सत्य और सरलताको सर्वोत्तम धर्म बताते हैं। सनातनधर्मके स्वरूपको जानना तो अत्यन्त कठिन है, परंतु वह सत्यमें प्रतिष्ठित है। जो वेदोंके द्वारा प्रमाणित हो, वही धर्म है--यह वृद्ध पुरुषोंका उपदेश है

Transliteration

durjeyaḥ śāśvato dharmaḥ sa ca satye pratiṣṭhitaḥ | śrutipramāṇo dharmaḥ syād iti vṛddhānuśāsanam ||

Translation

The brāhmaṇa said: “Dharma is eternal and hard to fathom, yet it stands firmly upon truth. The elders teach that only what is validated by Śruti (the Veda) is to be regarded as dharma.”

Word by Word

• {'durjeyaḥ': 'hard to conquer/overcome

• difficult to comprehend', 'śāśvataḥ': 'eternal, perennial', 'dharmaḥ': 'righteous order

• right conduct', 'satye': 'in truth

• in truthfulness', 'pratiṣṭhitaḥ': 'established

• firmly grounded', 'śruti': 'revealed scripture

• the Veda', 'pramāṇa': 'authoritative means of knowledge

• valid proof', 'śrutipramāṇaḥ': 'having Śruti as its authority

• Veda-grounded', 'syāt': 'should be

• is to be considered', 'iti': 'thus

• so (marking quotation/conclusion)', 'vṛddha': 'elder

• venerable person', 'anuśāsanam': 'instruction

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (a brāhmaṇa speaker)
• धर्म (Dharma)
• सत्य (Truth)
• श्रुति/वेद (Śruti/Veda)
• वृद्ध (Elders)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is subtle and difficult to fully grasp, but its foundation is satya (truth). The verse further asserts a traditional criterion: dharma is that which is supported by Śruti (Vedic revelation), as taught by elders.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa speaker offers a doctrinal clarification about dharma—its eternal nature, its grounding in truth, and the role of Vedic testimony and elder tradition in determining what counts as righteous conduct.