Shloka 54
Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)
(तथैव देवि वैश्याश्व॒ लोकयात्राहिता: स्मृता: । अन्ये तानुपजीवन्ति प्रत्यक्षफलदा हि ते ।।
tathaiva devi vaiśyāś ca lokayātrāhitāḥ smṛtāḥ | anye tān upajīvanti pratyakṣaphaladā hi te || yadi na syus tathā vaiśyā na bhaveyus tathā pare || vaiśyasya satataṁ dharmaḥ pāśupālyaṁ kṛṣis tathā | agnihotraparisphando dānādhyayanam eva ca | atithisatkāraḥ śamo damo brāhmaṇānāṁ svāgataṁ tyāgaś ca ||
Maheshvara bersabda: “Wahai Dewi, demikian juga kaum Vaiśya diingati sebagai mereka yang menampung kelangsungan perjalanan hidup masyarakat. Golongan-golongan lain hidup dengan bersandar kepada mereka, kerana mereka menghasilkan buah yang nyata dan segera. Jika tiada Vaiśya, golongan lain juga tidak akan bertahan. Dharma yang tetap bagi Vaiśya ialah memelihara ternakan, pertanian (serta mencari nafkah melalui perdagangan), melaksanakan Agnihotra secara teratur, memberi dana, dan belajar; beserta kelakuan baik yang berlandaskan jalan benar—memuliakan tetamu, pengendalian diri dan disiplin, menghormati serta menyambut para Brahmana, dan kemurahan hati melalui pelepasan.”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames the Vaiśya’s dharma as socially indispensable: by producing tangible goods and services (agriculture, cattle-rearing, trade), they sustain the livelihood of all, and their ethical ideal includes ritual responsibility (Agnihotra), learning, charity, hospitality, self-control, and honoring Brahmins.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction setting, Mahēśvara addresses Devī and explains the role and duties of the Vaiśya order, emphasizing that the other orders depend on them for practical sustenance and that their prescribed conduct combines economic work with religious and moral disciplines.