Shloka 29

Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणे कीदृशो धर्म: क्षत्रिये कीदृशो5भवत्‌ | वैश्ये किलक्षणो धर्म: शूद्रे किलक्षणो भवेत्‌

Transliteration

brāhmaṇe kīdṛśo dharmaḥ kṣatriye kīdṛśo 'bhavat | vaiśye ki-lakṣaṇo dharmaḥ śūdre ki-lakṣaṇo bhavet ||

Translation

圣大自在天曰：“婆罗门之法其性云何？刹帝利之法其性云何？以何等相可知吠舍之正法，又以何等相可识首陀罗之法？”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणे: in/for a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कीदृशः: of what kind
• कीदृशः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मः: dharma, duty
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रिये: in/for a Kshatriya
• क्षत्रिये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कीदृशः: of what kind
• कीदृशः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: was / became
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वैश्ये: in/for a Vaishya
• वैश्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• किलक्षणः: having what characteristics
• किलक्षणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किलक्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मः: dharma, duty
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शूद्रे: in/for a Shudra
• शूद्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• किलक्षणः: having what characteristics
• किलक्षणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किलक्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: should be / may be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Kṣatriya
• Vaiśya
• Śūdra
• Dharma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a systematic inquiry into varṇadharma—how dharma is defined differently for Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, and Śūdra—by asking for the distinguishing characteristics (lakṣaṇas) of each.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrī Maheśvara speaks in a didactic context, posing questions that set up a subsequent explanation of the duties and ethical norms appropriate to the four social orders.