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 ||
ಓ ದೇವಾ, ಓ ಅನಘ ಭೂತಪತೇ! ನನ್ನ ಈ ಸಂಶಯವನ್ನು ನಿವಾರಿಸು. ಈ ಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಶೂದ್ರ, ವೈಶ್ಯ, ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯ—ಈ ಮೂರು ವರ್ಣಗಳು ತಮ್ಮ ಸ್ವಭಾವ ಮತ್ತು ಆಚರಣೆಯಿಂದ ಹೇಗೆ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣ್ಯವನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯಬಹುದು?
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.