Shloka 4

कालयुक्तधर्मविवेकः

Discerning Dharma in Accord with Time

Devanagari script

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच देवि धर्मार्थतत्त्वज्ञे धर्मनित्ये दमे रते । सर्वप्राणिहित: प्रश्न: श्रूयतां बुद्धिवर्धन:

Transliteration

śrīmaheśvara uvāca

Devi dharmārthatattvajñe dharmanitye dame rate |

sarvaprāṇihitaḥ praśnaḥ śrūyatāṃ buddhivardhanaḥ ||

Translation

Śrī Maheshvara nói: “Hỡi Nữ Thần, người thấu triệt chân lý của dharma và artha, luôn bền vững trong chính đạo và vui thích nơi tự chế—hãy lắng nghe câu hỏi này, được nêu lên vì lợi ích của mọi loài hữu tình, một câu hỏi làm tăng trưởng trí tuệ.”

Word by Word

• श्रीमहेश्वरः: the venerable Maheshvara (Śiva)
• श्रीमहेश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमहेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular

• देवि: O goddess
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• धर्मार्थतत्त्वज्ञे: O knower of the truth of dharma and artha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मार्थतत्त्वज्ञ
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• धर्मनित्ये: O ever-steadfast in dharma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मनित्य
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• दमे: in self-control
• दमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• रते: O one delighting (engaged)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• सर्वप्राणिहितः: beneficial to all beings
• सर्वप्राणिहितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वप्राणिहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रश्नः: question
• प्रश्नः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard / please listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative, Third, Singular, Atmanepada (passive sense)

• बुद्धिवर्धनः: increasing wisdom
• बुद्धिवर्धनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुद्धिवर्धन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Devī (Pārvatī/Umā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ethical inquiry as universal in scope: a question should be asked and answered with the welfare of all beings in view, grounded in dharma, artha, and disciplined self-control, and aimed at increasing discernment (buddhi).

What is happening in the narrative?

Śiva addresses the Goddess respectfully, praising her insight into dharma and artha and her self-restraint, and then invites her to listen as he introduces an inquiry presented as beneficial to all living beings.