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Shloka 14

ब्रह्मस्वहरण-निषेधः — Prohibition of Appropriating Brahmin Property

Brahmasva

सोम॑ तु रजसा ध्वस्तं विक्रीणन्‌ विधिपूर्वकम्‌ | श्रोत्रियो वार्धुषी भूत्वा न चिरं स विनश्यति

somaṃ tu rajasā dhvastaṃ vikrīṇan vidhipūrvakam | śrotriyo vārddhuṣī bhūtvā na ciraṃ sa vinaśyati ||

قال الشاندالا: «حتى البراهمي العارف بالڤيدا، إن باع السُّوما التي دنّسها الغبار—غبار حوافر البقر—ومسّها اللبن، ولو باعها على وفق الطقوس؛ أو إن اتّخذ الربا سبيلاً فعاش على الإقراض بالفائدة، فإنه لا يلبث طويلاً: سرعان ما يهلك.»

सोमम्Soma (juice/plant)
सोमम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसोम
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
रजसाwith dust
रजसा:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootरजस्
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
ध्वस्तम्spoiled/defiled
ध्वस्तम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootध्वस्त
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
विक्रीणन्selling
विक्रीणन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवि-√क्री
FormPresent (participle), Singular, Parasmaipada, Masculine, Nominative
विधिपूर्वकम्according to rule/ritually
विधिपूर्वकम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootविधि-पूर्वक
श्रोत्रियःa Veda-learned Brahmin
श्रोत्रियः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootश्रोत्रिय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
वार्धुषीusury/interest (money-lending at interest)
वार्धुषी:
TypeNoun
Rootवार्धुषी
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
भूत्वाhaving become/being
भूत्वा:
TypeVerb
Root√भू
FormAbsolutive (Gerund)
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
चिरम्for long
चिरम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootचिर
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
विनश्यतिperishes/is ruined
विनश्यति:
TypeVerb
Rootवि-√नश्
FormPresent, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

चाण्डाल उवाच

चाण्डाल (Caṇḍāla)
सोम (Soma)
श्रोत्रिय ब्राह्मण (śrotriya brāhmaṇa)
वार्धुषी (usury/moneylending at interest)

Educational Q&A

Ritual correctness alone cannot justify an unethical livelihood: selling impure sacrificial Soma or adopting usury is portrayed as adharma that leads to swift downfall, even for a Veda-learned Brahmin.

A Caṇḍāla speaker delivers a moral warning about conduct and livelihood, criticizing certain practices (trade in defiled Soma and moneylending at interest) as spiritually and socially destructive, regardless of one’s learning or status.