Shloka 2

पञ्चवर्णोत्पत्तिः — The Origin of the Five-Colored Fiery Being and Ritual-Disruptor Lineages

Devanagari script

व्याध उवाच श्रुतिप्रमाणो धर्मोड्यमिति वृद्धानुशासनम्‌ | सूक्ष्मा गतिहिं धर्मस्य बहुशाखा हानन्तिका,व्याध बोला--वृद्ध पुरुषोंका कहना है कि “धर्मके विषयमें केवल वेद ही प्रमाण है।' यह ठीक है, तो भी धर्मकी गति बड़ी सूक्ष्म है। उसके अनन्त भेद और अनेक शाखाएँ हैं

Transliteration

vyādha uvāca | śrutipramāṇo dharmo ’yam iti vṛddhānuśāsanam | sūkṣmā gatir hi dharmasya bahuśākhā hy anantikā ||

Translation

The hunter said: “The elders instruct that the Veda is the sole authority for dharma. That is indeed so; yet the course of dharma is exceedingly subtle—its distinctions are without end, and its branches are many.”

Word by Word

व्याधःthe hunter (Vyadha)

उवाचsaid

श्रुति-प्रमाणःhaving the Veda as authority / whose proof is śruti

धर्मःdharma, righteousness

उद्यमःeffort, undertaking

इतिthus (quotative)

वृद्ध-अनुशासनम्the instruction/teaching of the elders

सूक्ष्माsubtle

गतिःcourse, way, movement

हिindeed, for

धर्मस्यof dharma

बहु-शाखाhaving many branches

अनन्तिकाendless, infinite

Speaker

व्याध उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyādha (the hunter)

Vṛddhāḥ (elders)

Śruti (the Veda)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes