Shloka 31

Adhyaya 53 — Rudrasarga and the Measure of the Manvantaras: Svayambhuva Manu, Priyavrata’s Line, and the Seven Dvipas

Sanskrit

ज्ञेयः पञ्चसु धर्मश्च वर्णाश्रमविभागजः ।

नित्यः स्वाभाविकश्चैव अहिंसाविधिवर्धितः ॥

Transliteration

jñeyaḥ pañcasu dharmaś ca varṇāśramavibhāgajaḥ /

nityaḥ svābhāvikaś caiva ahiṃsāvidhivardhitaḥ

Translation

Sache que, dans ces cinq (régions), le dharma naît de la division des varṇa et des āśrama ; il est constant et naturel, et il se fortifie par la règle de l’ahiṃsā (non-violence).

Word by Word

• jñeyaḥ: to be known/knowable
• jñeyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jñā (धातु) + ya (कृत् प्रत्यय) → jñeya (कृदन्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); क्तव्य/अनीयरर्थक—'to be known' (gerundive)

• pañcasu: in the five
• pañcasu: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन); numeral used substantively/qualifying (संख्यावाचक)

• dharmaḥ: dharma
• dharmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• varṇa-āśrama-vibhāga-jaḥ: arising from the division of varṇas and āśramas
• varṇa-āśrama-vibhāga-jaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + vibhāga (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक/तद्धित)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('born from the division of varṇas and āśramas')

• nityaḥ: eternal/constant
• nityaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• svābhāvikaḥ: natural/intrinsic
• svābhāvikaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svābhāvika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारणार्थक अव्यय)

• ahiṃsā-vidhi-vardhitaḥ: strengthened by the injunction of non-violence
• ahiṃsā-vidhi-vardhitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ahiṃsā (प्रातिपदिक) + vidhi (प्रातिपदिक) + vardhita (कृदन्त प्रातिपदिक; √vṛdh (धातु) + kta)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('increased/strengthened by the rule of non-violence')

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Purāṇic discourse (frame-speaker not explicit in the given excerpt)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Varṇāśrama
• Ahiṃsā
• Ethics

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is presented as both structured (varṇāśrama) and universal (nitya, svābhāvika), with ahiṃsā as a chief enhancer—implying that social duty is legitimate only when it protects life and reduces harm.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Falls under ‘Sthāna’ (ordering of worlds/regions) with a strong ‘Dharma-śāstra’ inflection; it describes how dharma manifests in particular cosmic locales.

What is the esoteric significance?

Varṇāśrama is treated as an outer scaffold, while ahiṃsā is the inner spiritual criterion; esoterically, the ‘natural’ dharma is the sattvic impulse toward non-injury that purifies the mind across all stations of life.