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 ||
وید میں مذکور دھرم ہی پرم دھرم ہے۔ دوسرا وہ دھرم ہے جو وید کے موافق سمرتی شاستروں میں آیا ہے۔ تیسرا وہ دھرم ہے جو شِشت اور نمونۂ کردار لوگوں کے عمل سے ثابت ہے۔ یہ تینوں دھرم سَناتن ہیں۔
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
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.