Shloka 19
ययातिदौहित्रपुण्यसमुच्चयः | Yayāti and the Grandsons’ Consolidation of Merit
ययातिरुवाच नाहं प्रतिग्रहधनो ब्राह्मण: क्षत्रियो हाहम् | नच मे प्रवणा बुद्धि: परपुण्यविनाशने
yayātir uvāca: nāhaṃ pratigraha-dhano brāhmaṇaḥ; kṣatriyo hy aham | na ca me praṇavā buddhiḥ para-puṇya-vināśane ||
Yayāti sprach: „Ich bin kein Brahmane, dessen Reichtum im Annehmen von Gaben besteht; ich bin ein Kshatriya. Darum ist mein Geist nicht geneigt, das Verdienst eines anderen zu schmälern, indem ich das Dargebotene annehme und so seinen geistigen Lohn mindere.“
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical restraint regarding wealth and religious merit: one should not accept gifts in a way that harms the donor’s spiritual merit, and one should act according to one’s dharma (here, Yayāti distinguishes Kshatriya conduct from Brahmin livelihood based on pratigraha).
Yayāti responds by clarifying his social role and moral stance: he rejects being treated as a Brahmin dependent on gift-acceptance and asserts he is a Kshatriya, therefore he will not engage in conduct that would diminish another person’s puṇya through improper acceptance.