Shloka 19

आरण्यकपर्वणि अध्यायः २१६ — इन्द्र-स्कन्द-संमुखता वज्रप्रहारश्च

Indra approaches Skanda; vajra strike and the arising of Viśākha

Devanagari script

दुर्जेय: शाश्वतो धर्म: शूद्रयोनौ हि वर्तते । नत्वां शूद्रमहं मन्‍्ये भवितव्यं हि कारणम्‌,आश्चर्य है कि यह सनातन धर्म, जिसके स्वरूपको समझना अत्यन्त कठिन है, शूद्रयोनिके मनुष्यमें भी विद्यमान है। मैं आपको शूद्र नहीं मानता। आपका जो शूद्रयोनिमें जन्म हो गया है, इसका कोई विशेष कारण होना चाहिये

Transliteration

durjeyaḥ śāśvato dharmaḥ śūdrayonau hi vartate | na tvāṃ śūdram ahaṃ manye bhavitavyaṃ hi kāraṇam ||

Translation

婆罗门说道：“此永恒之法难以征服——亦难以洞彻——然而竟也存在于生于首陀罗胎中的人身上。但我并不把你当作首陀罗。你生于那般境遇，背后必有更深的缘由。”

Word by Word

दुर्जेयःhard to conquer/overcome

शाश्वतःeternal

धर्मःdharma, righteousness

शूद्रयोनौin a Śūdra birth/womb

हिindeed, for

वर्ततेexists, is found, abides

नnot

त्वाम्you

शूद्रम्a Śūdra

अहम्I

मन्येI think/consider

भवितव्यम्must be, is bound to be

हिindeed, surely

कारणम्cause, reason

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (a brāhmaṇa speaker)

श

शूद्र (Śūdra, as a social designation)

ध

धर्म (dharma, as an ethical principle)

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 portrayed as eternal and subtle, not confined to birth-status: genuine righteousness can manifest in anyone, and outward social labels do not necessarily reflect inner moral stature.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa addresses a person said to be born in a Śūdra womb, expressing wonder that profound dharma is present there, refusing to judge the person as ‘Śūdra’ in essence, and suggesting that a significant hidden cause (destiny/karma) lies behind such a birth.