Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)
अन्निहोत्र, पितरोंका पूजन (श्राद्ध) और पंचमहा-यज्ञोंका अनुष्ठान यह उनका मुख्य धर्म कहा जाता है ।।
agnihotraṃ pitṝṇāṃ pūjanaṃ (śrāddhaṃ) ca pañcamahāyajñānām anuṣṭhānam—eṣa teṣāṃ mukhyo dharmaḥ kathyate. eṣa cakracaraiḥ devi devalokacarair dvijaiḥ ṛṣidharmaḥ sadā cīrṇo yo ’nyas tam api me śṛṇu, devi.
Maheshvara bersabda: “Persembahan Agnihotra, penghormatan kepada para leluhur melalui śrāddha, dan pelaksanaan lima korban agung (pañca-mahā-yajña)—inilah yang dinyatakan sebagai dharma utama mereka. Wahai Dewi, rishi-dharma ini sentiasa diamalkan oleh para Brahmana yang bergerak dalam putaran laksana roda dan yang berdiam di alam dewa. Selain itu, dengarlah daripadaku, wahai Devi, satu lagi kewajipan yang juga milik para resi.”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
The verse identifies a foundational dharma centered on daily and periodic sacred obligations: maintaining the fire-rite (Agnihotra), honoring ancestors through śrāddha, and performing the five great sacrifices. It frames these as the primary ethical-religious duties sustaining cosmic and social order, and then signals that an additional rishi-duty will be taught next.
Śrī Maheśvara is instructing Devī. He describes the long-established practice of certain Brahmins—portrayed as celestial-ranging and cyclical in movement—who have consistently observed rishi-dharma. He then transitions to introduce another aspect of the seers’ dharma to be explained subsequently.