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Shloka 5

Varṇāśrama-Dharma and the Thirty Qualities of a Human Being

श्रीनारद उवाच नत्वा भगवतेऽजाय लोकानां धर्मसेतवे । वक्ष्ये सनातनं धर्मं नारायणमुखाच्छ्रुतम् ॥ ५ ॥

śrī-nārada uvāca natvā bhagavate ’jāya lokānāṁ dharma-setave vakṣye sanātanaṁ dharmaṁ nārāyaṇa-mukhāc chrutam

Śrī Nārada Muni dit : Après avoir d’abord offert mes hommages au Seigneur Śrī Kṛṣṇa, l’Inengendré qui protège le pont du dharma de tous les êtres, j’exposerai le dharma éternel que j’ai entendu de la bouche de Nārāyaṇa.

śrī-nāradaḥŚrī Nārada
śrī-nāradaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootśrī-nārada (श्री + नारद, प्रातिपदिक)
FormKarmadhāraya (honorific qualifier: śrīmān nāradaḥ); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√vac (वच्— to speak, धातु)
FormLiṭ-lakāra (लिट्/Perfect), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
natvāhaving bowed
natvā:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√nam (नम्— to bow, धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), from √nam; indeclinable verbal form (अव्ययीभाववत्)
bhagavateto the Lord
bhagavate:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
TypeNoun
Rootbhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular (एकवचन)
ajāyato the unborn (one)
ajāya:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootaja (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular (एकवचन); epithet agreeing with bhagavate
lokānāmof the worlds/people
lokānām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootloka (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)
dharma-setaveto the bridge/support of dharma
dharma-setave:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma-setu (धर्म + सेतु, प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: dharmasya setuḥ = bridge of dharma); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular (एकवचन); epithet of bhagavate
vakṣyeI shall speak
vakṣye:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√vac (वच्— to speak, धातु)
FormLuṭ-lakāra (लुट्/Periphrastic future), Parasmaipada, 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
sanātanameternal
sanātanam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with dharmam
dharmamdharma
dharmam:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)
nārāyaṇa-mukhātfrom Nārāyaṇa’s mouth
nārāyaṇa-mukhāt:
Apādāna (अपादान/Source)
TypeNoun
Rootnārāyaṇa-mukha (नारायण + मुख, प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: nārāyaṇasya mukham); Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)
śrutamheard
śrutam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootśruta (√śru, कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
FormPast passive participle (क्त/PPP) from √śru (श्रु—hear); Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with dharmam

The word aja refers to Kṛṣṇa, who explains in Bhagavad-gītā (4.6) , ajo ’pi sann avyayātmā: “I am ever existing, and thus I never take birth. There is no change in My existence.”

N
Nārada
B
Bhagavān (the Supreme Lord)
N
Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

This verse introduces Sanātana-dharma as the eternal religious principle, presented by Nārada after offering obeisances to the unborn Lord, and grounded in divine revelation heard from Nārāyaṇa.

Nārada establishes the authority of his teachings: the dharma he will describe is not speculation, but śruti-like instruction received through direct divine transmission (paramparā).

See the Lord as the firm support for righteous living—anchor daily choices in devotion, truthfulness, and duty, using bhakti as the “bridge” that carries one safely across confusion and moral decline.