Shloka 55

Devanagari script

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच श्रेयांसं मार्गमन्विच्छन्‌ सदा य: पृच्छति द्विजान्‌ । धर्मान्विषी गुणाकांक्षी स स्वर्ग समुपाश्षुते

Transliteration

śrīmaheśvara uvāca: śreyāṁsaṁ mārgam anvicchan sadā yaḥ pṛcchati dvijān | dharmānviṣī guṇākāṅkṣī sa svargaṁ samupāśnute ||

Translation

シュリー・マヘーシュヴァラは言った。「より勝れた道を求め、つねに二度生まれし者（学識あるバラモン）に問い、ダルマを探究し、徳を希求する者――その者は天界に至る。」

Word by Word

श्रीमहेश्वरःthe venerable Maheshvara (Shiva)

उवाचsaid

श्रेयांसम्the better (one)

मार्गम्path

अन्विच्छन्seeking

सदाalways

यःwho

पृच्छतिasks

द्विजान्brahmins / twice-born

धर्मान्विषीone who seeks dharma

गुणाकाङ्क्षीdesiring virtues/good qualities

सःhe

स्वर्गम्heaven

समुपाश्नुतेattains

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrī Maheśvara

dvija (Brahmins/learned twice-born)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Persistent, humble inquiry into dharma from qualified learned teachers, coupled with a genuine desire for virtue, is presented as a direct means to spiritual merit culminating in svarga.

What is happening in the narrative?

Maheśvara delivers an instruction on ethical practice: the aspirant should actively seek the superior course of life by repeatedly consulting the dvijas (learned authorities) about dharma, thereby gaining merit and a higher posthumous destiny.