Adhyaya 28 — Alarka Inquires into Varna and Ashrama Dharma; Madalasa Defines the Fourfold Duties
सत्यं शौचमहिंसा च अनसूया तथा क्षमा । आनृशंस्यमकार्पण्यं सन्तोषश्चाष्टमो गुणः ॥
satyaṃ śaucam ahiṃsā ca anasūyā tathā kṣamā | ānṛśaṃsyam akārpaṇyaṃ santoṣaś cāṣṭamo guṇaḥ ||
Kejujuran, kemurnian, tanpa-kekerasan, bebas dari iri, kesabaran; welas asih (tanpa kekejaman), tidak kikir, dan kepuasan sebagai kebajikan kedelapan—itulah sifat-sifat umum.
{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
Dharma is grounded in universally applicable virtues: truth, purity, non-harm, non-envy, patience, kindness, generosity, and contentment—forming a moral baseline across roles and life-stages.
This is explicit dharma-sāra (ethical essence), a common Purāṇic function alongside the five-lakṣaṇa narrative domains.
These virtues can be read as purifications of speech (satya), body/mind (śauca), action (ahiṃsā), emotion (anasūyā, kṣamā), relational field (ānṛśaṃsya, akārpaṇya), and inner satisfaction (santoṣa), stabilizing meditation and insight.