Shloka 27
Pitāmaha-sabhā-varṇana & Hariścandra-māhātmya
Description of Brahmā’s Assembly and the Eminence of Hariścandra
अर्थो धर्मश्न॒ कामश्न हर्षो द्वेषस्तपो दम:,अर्थ, धर्म, काम, हर्ष, द्वेष, तप और दम--ये भी मूर्तिमान् होकर ब्रह्माजीकी उपासना करते हैं
arthaḥ dharmaś ca kāmaś ca harṣo dveṣas tapaḥ damaḥ | ete’pi mūrtimantaḥ kṛtvā brahmāṇam upāsate ||
Nārada dit : «La richesse (artha), la droiture (dharma), le désir (kāma), la joie (harṣa), la haine (dveṣa), l’austérité (tapas) et la maîtrise de soi (dama) : eux aussi, prenant corps, rendent un culte à Brahmā.»
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even foundational aims (artha, dharma, kāma) and inner states (joy, hatred) as well as disciplines (tapas, dama) are not ultimate; they are to be aligned under a higher cosmic principle—here expressed as worship of Brahmā—suggesting that ethical life and self-mastery gain legitimacy when oriented toward the source of order.
Nārada is describing a vision in which abstract forces and values are personified as beings. By portraying them as worshippers of Brahmā, the text emphasizes Brahmā’s supremacy and the hierarchical ordering of worldly pursuits and moral qualities within the broader cosmic structure.