Shloka 38

Yuga-Lakṣaṇa and Varṣa-Pramāṇa Inquiry (युगलक्षण–वर्षप्रमाण–प्रश्न)

Devanagari script

शूद्रास्तु मन्दगा नित्यं पुरुषा धर्मशीलिन:,मन्दग जनपदमें शूद्र रहते हैं। वे भी धर्मात्मा होते हैं

Transliteration

śūdrās tu mandagā nityaṁ puruṣā dharmaśīlinaḥ

Translation

Sañjaya dit : «Chez les Mandaga demeurent toujours les śūdra ; et ces hommes aussi sont de conduite dharmique, portés vers la droiture.»

Word by Word

• शूद्राः: Shudras
• शूद्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• मन्दगाः: slow-moving/sluggish
• मन्दगाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्दग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नित्यम्: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• पुरुषाः: men/persons
• पुरुषाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धर्मशीलिनः: virtuous; of righteous conduct
• धर्मशीलिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मशीलिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śūdras

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ethical worth is affirmed as compatible with one’s social category: even those described as simple or slow-paced are portrayed as capable of steady, dharmic conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, in his descriptive narration, characterizes a group (Śūdras) by temperament and then emphasizes their righteousness, framing them as morally grounded within the broader account.