Shloka 5
धर्मनिन्दा–धर्मोपासनाफलम् तथा साध्वाचारलक्षणम्
Fruits of Disparaging vs. Observing Dharma; Marks of Good Conduct
एतन्मे संशयं देव वद भूतपतेडनघ । त्रयो वर्णा: प्रकृत्येह कथं ब्राह्माण्यमाप्रुयु:
etan me saṁśayaṁ deva vada bhūtapate 'nagha | trayo varṇāḥ prakṛtyeha kathaṁ brāhmaṇyam āpnuyuḥ ||
हे देव, हे निष्पाप भूतनाथ! मेरे इस संशय का समाधान कीजिए। इस लोक में शूद्र, वैश्य और क्षत्रिय—ये तीनों वर्ण अपने स्वभाव और आचरण से कैसे ब्राह्मणत्व को प्राप्त कर सकते हैं?
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-question: whether Brahminhood is merely by birth or can be attained through innate disposition and ethical-spiritual conduct, inviting an answer that grounds status in qualities and practice.
Mahēśvara addresses a deity as ‘Lord of beings’ and asks for clarification about how members of the other three varṇas (Śūdra, Vaiśya, Kṣatriya) might, in this world, attain Brahminhood—setting up a doctrinal explanation in the surrounding passage.