Shloka 2

धर्मनिन्दा–धर्मोपासनाफलम् तथा साध्वाचारलक्षणम्

Fruits of Disparaging vs. Observing Dharma; Marks of Good Conduct

Devanagari script

चातुर्वर्ण्य भगवता पूर्व सृष्टे स्वयम्भुवा । केन कर्मविपाकेन वैश्यो गच्छति शूद्रताम्‌,भगवान्‌ ब्रह्माजीने पूर्वकालमें जिन चार वर्णोंकी सृष्टि की है, उनमेंसे वैश्य किस कर्मके परिणामसे शूद्रत्वको प्राप्त हो जाता है?

Transliteration

cāturvarṇyaṁ bhagavatā pūrvaṁ sṛṣṭe svayambhuvā | kena karmavipākena vaiśyo gacchati śūdratām ||

Translation

స్వయంభూ భగవానుడు పూర్వం సృష్టించిన చాతుర్వర్ణ్యంలో, ఏ కర్మవిపాకం వల్ల వైశ్యుడు శూద్రత్వాన్ని పొందుతాడు?

Word by Word

चातुर्वर्ण्यम्the fourfold varna-system

भगवताby the Lord

पूर्वम्formerly, earlier

सृष्टेwhen created / in the creation (having been created)

स्वयम्भुवाby the Self-born (Brahmā)

केनby what?

कर्मविपाकेनby the ripening/result of karma

वैश्यःa Vaiśya

गच्छतिgoes, attains

शूद्रताम्Śūdra-hood, the state of being a Śūdra

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrīmaheśvara (Mahādeva/Śiva)

Svayambhū (Brahmā)

cāturvarṇya (four varṇas)

Vaiśya

Śūdra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames varṇa-status as connected to karma-vipāka (the moral maturation of actions), introducing an ethical inquiry into how conduct and its consequences can lead to decline in social-religious standing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Maheshvara poses a doctrinal question about the fourfold order created by Svayambhū (Brahmā), specifically asking what kinds of karmic outcomes cause a Vaiśya to fall into the condition of a Śūdra, setting up an explanation in the subsequent verses.