Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच (एतत्ते कथयिष्यामि यत्ते देवि मन:प्रियम् । शृणु तत् सर्वमखिलं धर्म वर्णाश्रमाश्रितम् ।।
śrīmaheśvara uvāca |
etatte kathayiṣyāmi yatte devi manaḥ-priyam |
śṛṇu tat sarvamakhilaṁ dharmaṁ varṇāśramāśritam ||
Wika ni Śrī Maheśvara: “O Diyosa, sasabihin ko sa iyo ang aral tungkol sa dharma na nakalulugod sa iyong puso. Pakinggan mo nang buo ang ganap na salaysay ng dharma, ayon sa balangkas ng varṇa at āśrama.”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
The verse frames dharma as something to be understood comprehensively through the varṇa–āśrama structure, presenting it as an ordered, teachable system rather than a purely personal preference.
Śiva (Maheśvara) addresses Devī and announces that he will now explain, in full, the doctrine of dharma grounded in varṇas and āśramas—serving as a preface to a longer instructional section.