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Shloka 7

Varṇāśrama-Dharma and the Thirty Qualities of a Human Being

धर्ममूलं हि भगवान्सर्ववेदमयो हरि: । स्मृतं च तद्विदां राजन्येन चात्मा प्रसीदति ॥ ७ ॥

dharma-mūlaṁ hi bhagavān sarva-vedamayo hariḥ smṛtaṁ ca tad-vidāṁ rājan yena cātmā prasīdati

Ô roi, le Bhagavān Hari, essence de tous les Vedas, est la racine de tout dharma, et les grandes autorités s’en souviennent dans la Smṛti. En prenant ce principe religieux pour preuve, l’esprit, l’âme et même le corps sont comblés.

dharma-mūlamthe root/source of dharma
dharma-mūlam:
Pradhāna-nāma (प्रधान/Predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma-mūla (धर्म + मूल, प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: dharmasya mūlam); Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
hiindeed
hi:
Sambandha-sūcaka (सम्बन्धसूचक/Discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; particle (निपात) giving emphasis/causal nuance
bhagavānthe Lord
bhagavān:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootbhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
sarva-veda-mayaḥcomposed of all the Vedas
sarva-veda-mayaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsarva-veda-maya (सर्व + वेद + मय, प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (determinative: 'consisting of all Vedas'); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with hariḥ/bhagavān
hariḥHari
hariḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject—appositive)
TypeNoun
Roothari (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
smṛtamremembered
smṛtam:
Kriyā-bhāva (क्रियाभाव/Passive predicate)
TypeAdjective
Rootsmṛta (√smṛ, कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
FormPast passive participle (क्त/PPP) from √smṛ (स्मृ—remember); Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); impersonal/passive sense: 'when remembered'
caand
ca:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Coordination)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)
tad-vidāmof those who know that (truth)
tad-vidām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Roottad-vid (तद् + विद्, प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (upapada: 'knowers of that'); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)
rājanO king
rājan:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootrājan (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)
yenaby which
yena:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument—'by which')
TypeNoun
Rootyad (यद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormRelative pronoun; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)
caand
ca:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)
ātmāthe self, mind
ātmā:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootātman (आत्मन्, प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
prasīdatibecomes pleased, is pacified
prasīdati:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpra-√sad (सद्—to be clear/settle, धातु)
FormLaṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

As stated by Yamarāja, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. Yamarāja, the representative of the Lord who takes care of the living beings after their death, gives his verdict as to how and when the living being will change his body. He is the authority, and he says that the religious principles consist of the codes and laws given by God. No one can manufacture religion, and therefore manufactured religious systems are rejected by the followers of the Vedic principles. In Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) it is said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ: Vedic knowledge means to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, whether one speaks of the Vedas, scriptures, religion or the principles of everyone’s occupational duty, all of them must aim at understanding Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.6) therefore concludes:

H
Hari
K
King (Yudhiṣṭhira)

FAQs

This verse states that the root of all dharma is Bhagavān Hari, who embodies the essence of all the Vedas.

Prahlāda is instructing the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on true dharma, emphasizing that dharma is Hari-centered and known through realized authorities.

Align duties, ethics, and spiritual practice with devotion to Hari and guidance from authentic teachers; this brings inner clarity and peace (ātmā prasīdati).