Shloka 21

ब्रह्मस्वहरण-निषेधः — Prohibition of Appropriating Brahmin Property

Brahmasva

Devanagari script

स्वाध्यायैस्तु महत्पापं हरन्ति गृहमेधिन:

Transliteration

svādhyāyais tu mahat pāpaṁ haranti gṛhamedhinaḥ

Translation

إنَّ ربَّ البيت، بفضل السڤادهيايا (svādhyāya)—أي الدراسة الذاتية المخلصة وتلاوة النصوص المقدّسة—يمحو حتى الإثم العظيم. وتؤكّد هذه الكلمة أنّ التعلّم المنضبط والمداومة اليومية على ممارسة الكتاب المقدّس ليستا سعيًا ذهنيًا فحسب، بل تطهيرًا أخلاقيًا متاحًا في صميم الحياة المنزلية العادية.

Word by Word

• स्वाध्यायैः: by (means of) self-study/recitation of sacred texts
• स्वाध्यायैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्याय
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पापम्: sin/evil
• पापम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हरन्ति: they remove/take away
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• गृहमेधिनः: householders
• गृहमेधिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहमेधिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

चाण्डाल उवाच

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Regular svādhyāya—disciplined study and recitation of sacred teachings—has purificatory power; even a householder engaged in worldly responsibilities can remove grave moral taint through sustained scriptural practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker identified as a Caṇḍāla states a dharma-principle: householders are not excluded from spiritual purification; through svādhyāya they can eradicate great sin, emphasizing practice over social status.