Shloka 57

उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel

Devanagari script

बृस्‍्यां दर्भेषु हव्ये च कव्ये च मुनिसत्तम । एतेन कर्मदोषेण पुरोधास्त्वमजायथा:

Transliteration

bṛsyāṃ darbheṣu havye ca kavye ca munisattama | etena karmadoṣeṇa purodhās tvam ajāyathāḥ ||

Translation

يا أفضلَ الحكماء! لقد علَّمتني كيف يُراعى في الطقس وضعُ المقعدِ المقدَّس وعشبِ الدَّربها (darbha) على وجهه الصحيح، وكيف تُقدَّم الهَفْيا (havya) وهي القرابين للآلهة، والكَفْيا (kavya) وهي القرابين للأسلاف. غير أنّ خللًا في ذلك السلوك الطقسي نفسه جعلك تُولَد في هذه الحياة بصفةِ بُروهِيتا (purohita)، كاهنِ البيت.

Word by Word

• बृस्याम्: on the (sacrificial) seat/bed (bṛsī)
• बृस्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृसी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• दर्भेषु: among/on darbha-grasses
• दर्भेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• हव्ये: in the havya-offering (to gods)
• हव्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कव्ये: in the kavya-offering (to ancestors)
• कव्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कव्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मुनिसत्तम: O best of sages
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि-सत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• एतेन: by this
• एतेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• कर्मदोषेण: by the fault of (one's) act/ritual
• कर्मदोषेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म-दोष
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पुरोधाः: a family-priest (purohita)
• पुरोधाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोधा
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• अजायथाः: you were born / came to be
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (जनँ)
• Form: Aorist (luṅ), 2nd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: O foremost of sages
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि-श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

पुरोहित उवाच

Characters & Entities

• पुरोहित (purohita, priest)
• मुनिसत्तम (munisattama, best of sages)
• दर्भ (darbha grass)
• हव्य (havya, offering to gods)
• कव्य (kavya, offering to ancestors)
• बृस्या (ritual seat/mat)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual knowledge and priestly function are tied to karma: even one who teaches correct procedure regarding sacred implements and offerings may, due to a defect in ritual action (karmadoṣa), experience a particular birth and social role. The verse underscores ethical seriousness and accountability in sacrificial conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker (the purohita) addresses a revered sage, recalling earlier instruction on arranging darbha grass and making havya and kavya offerings. He then states that because of a fault connected with those ritual acts, the sage has taken birth in this life as a household priest.