Devanagari
य: पृष्टो मुनिभि: प्राह धर्मान्नानाविदाञ्छुभान् ।
नृणां वर्णाश्रमाणां च सर्वभूतहित: सदा ॥ ३८ ॥
Verse text
yaḥ pṛṣṭo munibhiḥ prāha
dharmān nānā-vidhāṣ chubhān
nṛṇāṁ varṇāśramāṇāṁ ca
sarva-bhūta-hitaḥ sadā
Synonyms
yaḥ
—
who
;
pṛṣṭaḥ
—
being questioned
;
munibhiḥ
—
by the sages
;
prāha
—
spoke
;
dharmān
—
the duties
;
nānā
—
vidhān — many varieties
;
śubhān
—
auspicious
;
nṛṇām
—
of human society
;
varṇa
—
āśramāṇām — of the varṇas and āśramas
;
ca
—
and
;
sarva
—
bhūta — for all living beings
;
hitaḥ
—
who does welfare
;
sadā
—
always .
Translation
In reply to questions asked by certain sages, he [Svāyambhuva Manu], out of compassion for all living entities, taught the diverse sacred duties of men in general and the different varṇas and āśramas.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Asked by sages, he, thinking of the welfare of all beings, spoke on various types of auspicious dharma for humans and on varṇāśrama.