Shloka 17

Varṇa-adhikāra, Karma, and the Protection of One’s Attained Spiritual Status (वर्णाधिकारः कर्म च स्वस्थानरक्षणम्)

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणत्वं हि दुष्प्राप्यं कृच्छ्रेण साध्यते नरैः । ब्राह्मण्यात्सकलं प्राप्य मोक्षश्चापि मुनीश्वर

Transliteration

brahmaṇatvaṃ hi duṣprāpyaṃ kṛcchreṇa sādhyate naraiḥ | brāhmaṇyātsakalaṃ prāpya mokṣaścāpi munīśvara

Translation

«La condition de brāhmaṇa est, en vérité, difficile à obtenir; les hommes ne l’accomplissent qu’au prix d’un effort pénible. Du brāhmaṇya—l’état et la discipline du brāhmaṇa—ayant obtenu tout ce qui est digne, on atteint aussi la délivrance, ô seigneur des sages.»

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणत्वम्: Brahminhood
• ब्रह्मणत्वम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; passive subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मणत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• दुष्प्राप्यम्: hard to obtain
• दुष्प्राप्यम्: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस् + प्राप्य (कृदन्त; प्र + आप् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कृदन्तः—तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (प्राप्य = attainable; दुष्-उपसर्गेण ‘hard to’)

• कृच्छ्रेण: with difficulty
• कृच्छ्रेण: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument; manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• साध्यते: is accomplished/attained
• साध्यते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: साध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: कर्ता (Karta/Agent in passive; instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ब्राह्मण्यात्: from Brahmin status
• ब्राह्मण्यात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सकलम्: everything
• सकलम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having obtained’

• मोक्षः: liberation
• मोक्षः: कर्म (Karma/Object; implied ‘is obtained’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle)

• मुनीश्वर: O lord of sages
• मुनीश्वर: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुनीनां ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Not specified in the provided excerpt (context-dependent within Umāsaṃhitā 21)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

FAQs

Does this verse define ‘brāhmaṇa’ primarily by birth or by spiritual-ethical qualities?

The verse foregrounds attainability through effort (kṛcchreṇa sādhyate), suggesting an emphasis on cultivated discipline and spiritual-ethical formation (brāhmaṇya) rather than a purely hereditary status; however, Purāṇic passages can vary by context, and a full interpretation should consider the surrounding narrative and normative framework.