Shloka 22
त्रिवर्गमूलनिश्चयः — Determining the Roots of Dharma, Artha, and Kāma
Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 123
ततः: पितामहो विष्णुं भगवन्तं सनातनम् । सम्पूज्य वरदं देवं॑ महादेवमथाब्रवीत्,ऐसी अवस्था हो जानेपर पितामह ब्रह्माने सनातन भगवान् विष्णुका पूजन करके वरदायक देवता महादेवजीसे कहा--“शंकर! इस परिस्थितिमें आपको कृपा करनी चाहिये। जिस प्रकार संसारमें वर्णसंकरता न फैले, वह उपाय आप करें
tataḥ pitāmaho viṣṇuṃ bhagavantaṃ sanātanam | sampūjya varadaṃ devaṃ mahādevam athābravīt ||
Apabila keadaan menjadi demikian, Sang Datuk Agung (Brahmā) terlebih dahulu memuja Tuhan Viṣṇu yang kekal, lalu mendekati dewa pemberi anugerah, Mahādeva, dan berkata: “Wahai Śaṅkara, dalam keadaan ini engkau patut menaruh belas kasihan. Rancanglah suatu jalan agar varṇa-saṅkara—kekacauan tatanan sosial—tidak merebak di dunia.”
वसुहरोम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames social stability as a dharmic responsibility: when disorder threatens, wise governance seeks divine guidance to prevent the breakdown of ethical and social norms (here expressed as varṇa-saṅkara). It also models humility—Brahmā worships Viṣṇu and then petitions Śiva—showing that even the highest authority acts through reverence and consultation for the welfare of the world.
Vasuharoma narrates that Brahmā first worships the eternal Viṣṇu and then addresses Mahādeva (Śiva), asking him to show grace and to devise a remedy so that social confusion and intermixture leading to disorder (varṇa-saṅkara) does not spread in the world.