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Shloka 2

पञ्चवर्णोत्पत्तिः — The Origin of the Five-Colored Fiery Being and Ritual-Disruptor Lineages

व्याध उवाच श्रुतिप्रमाणो धर्मोड्यमिति वृद्धानुशासनम्‌ | सूक्ष्मा गतिहिं धर्मस्य बहुशाखा हानन्तिका,व्याध बोला--वृद्ध पुरुषोंका कहना है कि “धर्मके विषयमें केवल वेद ही प्रमाण है।' यह ठीक है, तो भी धर्मकी गति बड़ी सूक्ष्म है। उसके अनन्त भेद और अनेक शाखाएँ हैं

vyādha uvāca | śrutipramāṇo dharmo ’yam iti vṛddhānuśāsanam | sūkṣmā gatir hi dharmasya bahuśākhā hy anantikā ||

猎人说道:“长老们训示:论法(dharma),唯《吠陀》(Śruti)为凭。此言固然不错;然而法之行径极其幽微——差别无穷,支分甚多。”

व्याधःthe hunter (Vyadha)
व्याधः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootव्याध
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
FormPerfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
श्रुति-प्रमाणःhaving the Veda as authority / whose proof is śruti
श्रुति-प्रमाणः:
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रुति-प्रमाण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
धर्मःdharma, righteousness
धर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उद्यमःeffort, undertaking
उद्यमः:
TypeNoun
Rootउद्यम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
इतिthus (quotative)
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति
वृद्ध-अनुशासनम्the instruction/teaching of the elders
वृद्ध-अनुशासनम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवृद्ध-अनुशासन
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
सूक्ष्माsubtle
सूक्ष्मा:
TypeAdjective
Rootसूक्ष्म
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
गतिःcourse, way, movement
गतिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootगति
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
हिindeed, for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
धर्मस्यof dharma
धर्मस्य:
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
बहु-शाखाhaving many branches
बहु-शाखा:
TypeAdjective
Rootबहु-शाखा
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
अनन्तिकाendless, infinite
अनन्तिका:
TypeAdjective
Rootअनन्तिक
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular

व्याध उवाच

V
Vyādha (the hunter)
V
Vṛddhāḥ (elders)
Ś
Śruti (the Veda)

Educational Q&A

Dharma is grounded in śruti (Vedic revelation) as an ultimate authority, yet its real-world application is subtle and complex, branching into countless context-dependent distinctions.

The hunter-teacher begins (or continues) instructing his listener by acknowledging the elders’ Veda-based definition of dharma, while warning that discerning dharma in practice is difficult because it has innumerable nuanced forms.