Shloka 5
आपद्धर्मे वैश्यवृत्तिः, विक्रय-निषेधाः, तथा ब्रह्म-क्षत्र-सम्बन्धः
Emergency Livelihood, Prohibited Trade, and Brahman–Kshatra Regulation
सर्वास्ववस्थास्वेतानि ब्राह्मण: परिवर्जयेत् । एतेषां विक्रयात् तात ब्राह्मणो नरकं व्रजेत्
sarvāsv avasthāsv etāni brāhmaṇaḥ parivarjayet | eteṣāṁ vikrayāt tāta brāhmaṇo narakaṁ vrajet |
Bhīṣma sprach: „Mein Kind, Yudhiṣṭhira, ein Brāhmaṇa soll den Verkauf dieser Dinge unter allen Umständen meiden; denn durch ihren Handel geht der Brāhmaṇa in die Hölle ein.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A Brahmin must maintain purity of livelihood: certain trades are prohibited in all circumstances, and violating this by selling such items is presented as a grave ethical fault with severe karmic consequence (falling into naraka).
In the Shanti Parva’s dharma-instruction setting, Bhishma is teaching Yudhishthira norms of conduct for social classes; here he states a categorical prohibition for Brahmins against selling specified goods (listed in the surrounding context), warning of the spiritual penalty.