Shloka 28

Kuberasaras-darśana (Bhīma beholds Kubera’s guarded lotus-lake) / कुबेरसरः-दर्शनम्

Devanagari script

आचारसम्भवो धर्मों धर्मे वेदा: प्रतिष्ठिता: । वेदैर्यज्ञा: समुत्पन्ना यज्जैर्देवा: प्रतिष्ठिता:,आचारसे धर्मकी उत्पत्ति होती है। धर्ममें वेदोंकी प्रतिष्ठा है। वेदोंसे यज्ञ प्रकट हुए हैं और यज्ञोंसे देवताओंकी स्थिति है

Transliteration

ācāra-sambhavo dharmo dharme vedāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ | vedair yajñāḥ samutpannā yajñair devāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ ||

Translation

毗耶娑之弟子毗舍摩波耶那说道：法（Dharma）起于正行（ācāra）。吠陀安立于法之中；由吠陀生起祭祀之仪（yajña），而凭借祭祀，诸天得以受养，安住于其被规定的位分。由此可见，伦理实践、神圣知识、仪式行动与宇宙秩序，乃是一条相互依存、环环相扣的链条。

Word by Word

आचारसम्भवःarising from conduct

धर्मःdharma, righteousness

धर्मेin dharma

वेदाःthe Vedas

प्रतिष्ठिताःare established

वेदैःby/through the Vedas

यज्ञाःsacrifices

समुत्पन्नाःhave arisen, originated

यज्ञैःby/through sacrifices

देवाःthe gods

प्रतिष्ठिताःare established, sustained

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Dharma

Vedas

Yajñas (sacrifices)

Devas (gods)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a hierarchy of support: proper conduct (ācāra) generates and preserves dharma; dharma is the ground in which the Vedas stand; the Vedas generate yajña (sacrificial/ritual action); and yajña sustains the devas, i.e., the cosmic powers that uphold order. Ethical life is therefore not separate from sacred knowledge and ritual—it is their foundation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana is explaining principles of dharma by tracing how social and cosmic stability depend on a chain from human conduct to Vedic authority, from Vedic injunctions to sacrifice, and from sacrifice to the maintenance of the gods’ ordained functions.