Shloka 5

धर्मनिन्दा–धर्मोपासनाफलम् तथा साध्वाचारलक्षणम्

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

Devanagari script

एतन्मे संशयं देव वद भूतपतेडनघ । त्रयो वर्णा: प्रकृत्येह कथं ब्राह्माण्यमाप्रुयु:

Transliteration

etan me saṁśayaṁ deva vada bhūtapate 'nagha | trayo varṇāḥ prakṛtyeha kathaṁ brāhmaṇyam āpnuyuḥ ||

Translation

Maheśvara nói: “Hỡi Thần, hỡi Chúa tể muôn loài, hỡi bậc vô cấu—xin giải mối nghi này cho ta. Trong đời này, làm sao ba varṇa: Śūdra, Vaiśya và Kṣatriya—bằng bản tính và hạnh kiểm của chính mình—có thể đạt đến địa vị Brahmin?”

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मे: my
• मे: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• संशयम्: doubt
• संशयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• देव: O god / O lord
• देव: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• वद: tell (speak)
• वद: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भूतपते: O lord of beings
• भूतपते: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतपति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनघ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Karta
• Type: Numeral/Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वर्णाः: classes (varnas)
• वर्णाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रकृत्या: by nature
• प्रकृत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• इह: here / in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• ब्राह्माण्यम्: Brahminhood
• ब्राह्माण्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्माण्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आप्नुयुः: might attain
• आप्नुयुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप्
• Form: Optative, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Mahēśvara (Śiva)
• Deva (addressed deity)
• Bhūtapati (Lord of beings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharma-question: whether Brahminhood is merely by birth or can be attained through innate disposition and ethical-spiritual conduct, inviting an answer that grounds status in qualities and practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mahēśvara addresses a deity as ‘Lord of beings’ and asks for clarification about how members of the other three varṇas (Śūdra, Vaiśya, Kṣatriya) might, in this world, attain Brahminhood—setting up a doctrinal explanation in the surrounding passage.