Shloka 42

Agni’s Withdrawal to the Forest and Identification with Āṅgirasa (अग्न्याङ्गिरस-इतिहासः)

Devanagari script

बहुधा दृश्यते धर्म: सूक्ष्म एव द्विजोत्तम । भवानपि च धर्मज्ञ: स्वाध्यायनिरत: शुचि:,द्विजश्रेष्ठ! बहुधा धर्मका स्वरूप सूक्ष्म ही देखा जाता है। तुम भी धर्मज्ञ, स्वाध्यायपरायण और पवित्र हो

Transliteration

bahudhā dṛśyate dharmaḥ sūkṣma eva dvijottama | bhavān api ca dharmajñaḥ svādhyāyanirataḥ śuciḥ ||

Translation

“Hỡi bậc tối thượng trong hàng lưỡng sinh, dharma được thấy theo nhiều cách, và quả thật rất vi tế. Ngài cũng là người hiểu dharma—chuyên cần tự học kinh điển và thanh tịnh trong lòng.”

Word by Word

बहुधाin many ways / often

दृश्यतेis seen / appears

धर्मःdharma / righteousness

सूक्ष्मःsubtle

एवindeed / only

द्विजोत्तमO best of the twice-born (brahmin)

भवान्you (honored sir)

अपिalso / even

चand

धर्मज्ञःknower of dharma

स्वाध्यायनिरतःdevoted to self-study (Vedic recitation)

शुचिःpure

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (speaker)

dvijottama (addressed Brahmin)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is not always obvious; it can appear in multiple forms and is subtle to judge. Therefore, discernment grounded in learning (svādhyāya), purity, and ethical understanding is essential when deciding what is right.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin speaker addresses another respected Brahmin, acknowledging his learning and purity, and frames the discussion by emphasizing that dharma is complex and subtle—setting up or supporting a moral inquiry or decision.