Shloka 1
कालयुक्तधर्मविवेकः
Discerning Dharma in Accord with Time
ऑपनआक्रात छा अर: चतुश्नत्वारिशर्दाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: बन्धन-मुक्ति
umovāca kiṃśīlaḥ kiṃsamācāraḥ puruṣaḥ kaiś ca karmabhiḥ | svargaṃ samabhipadyeta sampradānena kena vā ||
Umā berkata: “Wahai Bhagavan, Penguasa segala makhluk, yang dihormati para dewa dan asura, wahai Yang Mahakuasa! Jelaskan kepadaku hakikat dharma dan adharma bagi manusia, agar lenyap keraguanku. Dan katakan pula: watak dan laku bagaimana, serta perbuatan apa, yang mengantarkan seseorang mencapai surga? Dan pemberian (dāna) macam apakah yang meneguhkan pencapaian itu?”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-inquiry: heavenly attainment is linked not merely to ritual but to a person’s character (śīla), daily conduct (samācāra), and ethically qualified actions (karma), with special attention to the role and manner of giving (sampradāna/dāna).
In the Umā–Maheśvara dialogue, Umā questions the divine teacher about the moral qualities, behaviors, and specific deeds—including forms of charity—that lead a human being to attain svarga.