Shloka 65
Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)
वेदोक्तः परमो धर्म: स्मृतिशास्त्रगतो5पर: । शिष्टाचीर्णो पर: प्रोक्तस्त्रयो धर्मा: सनातना:
vedoktaḥ paramo dharmaḥ smṛtiśāstragato 'paraḥ | śiṣṭācīrṇo paraḥ proktas trayo dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ ||
Śrī Maheśvara bersabda: “Dharma yang tertinggi ialah dharma yang diperintahkan oleh Veda. Seterusnya ialah dharma yang terdapat dalam Smṛti-śāstra, selaras dengan Veda. Yang ketiga ialah dharma yang diamalkan oleh insan beradab dan teladan (śiṣṭa). Tiga dharma ini bersifat kekal.”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is presented as having three enduring authorities: (1) Vedic injunctions as the highest standard, (2) Smṛti-śāstras insofar as they accord with the Veda, and (3) the lived conduct of exemplary, well-formed people (śiṣṭācāra) as a practical guide when applying dharma in society.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Śrī Maheśvara speaks as a teacher of dharma, classifying the recognized bases of righteous conduct—scripture (Veda), tradition (Smṛti), and the normative practice of the virtuous (śiṣṭācāra)—to guide ethical decision-making.