Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline
ब्रह्माजी बोले--महान् भाग्यशाली सप्तर्षियो! तुम लोगोंने परम शुभकारक, गूढ़ अर्थसे युक्त, सूक्ष्म एवं मनुष्योंके लिये कल्याणकारी प्रश्न सामने रखा है ।।
Brahmājī uvāca—mahān bhāgyāśālinaḥ saptarṣayaḥ! yūyaṁ paramāśubhakārakaṁ gūḍhārthayuktaṁ sūkṣmaṁ ca manuṣyāṇāṁ hitakaraṁ praśnaṁ puraskṛtavantaḥ. śrūyatāṁ sarvam ākhyāsyāmi vaḥ akhilena, tapodhanāḥ, yathā yajñaphalaṁ martyo labhate, nātra saṁśayaḥ.
Wika ni Brahmā: “O mapalad na Pitong Pantas! Iniharap ninyo sa akin ang isang tanong na lubhang mapalad, malalim ang diwa, maselan, at kapaki-pakinabang sa sangkatauhan. Makinig kayo: ipaliliwanag ko sa inyo ang lahat nang ganap, O mga mayaman sa pag-aayuno at pagninilay—kung paanong natatamo ng isang mortal ang bunga ng paghahandog (yajña); dito’y walang alinlangan.”
भीष्म उवाच
The verse frames a dharmic instruction: profound, subtle questions about how humans obtain the fruits of yajña are worthy and auspicious, and Brahmā affirms that he will explain the principle fully and with certainty—emphasizing the reliability of dharma-teaching and the moral-spiritual causality behind sacrificial merit.
Bhīṣma recounts a discourse in which Brahmā addresses the Seven Sages. He praises their question as beneficial for humanity and announces that he will now describe, without omission, how a mortal gains the results of sacrifice.