Shloka 8

धर्मनिन्दा–धर्मोपासनाफलम् तथा साध्वाचारलक्षणम्

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

Devanagari script

स्थितो ब्राह्मणधर्मेण ब्राह्मण्यमुपजीवति । क्षत्रियों वाथ वैश्यो वा ब्रह्म॒भूयं स गच्छति

Transliteration

sthito brāhmaṇadharmeṇa brāhmaṇyam upajīvati | kṣatriyo vātha vaiśyo vā brahmabhūyaṃ sa gacchati ||

Translation

Mahādeva nói: “An trú trong dharma của bậc Bà-la-môn và sống theo nếp sống Bà-la-môn, dẫu là Sát-đế-lỵ hay Phệ-xá, người ấy cũng đạt đến cảnh giới Phạm (Brahman).”

Word by Word

• स्थितः: standing/abiding
• स्थितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणधर्मेण: by/with the Brahminical dharma
• ब्राह्मणधर्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ब्राह्मण्यम्: Brahminhood/status of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मण्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उपजीवति: lives by/depends on
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-जीव् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• क्षत्रियः: a Kshatriya
• क्षत्रियः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• अथ: or/then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• वैश्यः: a Vaishya
• वैश्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• ब्रह्मभूयम्: the state of Brahman/Brahminhood
• ब्रह्मभूयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मभूय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गच्छति: goes/attains
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrīmaheśvara (Mahādeva/Śiva)
• brāhmaṇa
• kṣatriya
• vaiśya
• Brahman (brahma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that spiritual and ethical elevation depends on adherence to brāhmaṇical dharma—truthfulness, self-control, purity, learning, and disciplined living—rather than on birth alone. A kṣatriya or vaiśya who genuinely lives by these virtues can attain brahma-bhūya, the state of Brahman.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrīmaheśvara is instructing about dharma and the transformative power of conduct. He states that when a person of another varṇa adopts and lives by brāhmaṇa-dharma and the brāhmaṇa way of life, that person becomes fit for the highest spiritual attainment.