Shloka 35
The Deliverance of King Nṛga and the Warning Against Taking Brāhmaṇa Property
ब्रह्मस्वं दुरनुज्ञातं भुक्तं हन्ति त्रिपूरुषम् । प्रसह्य तु बलाद् भुक्तं दश पूर्वान् दशापरान् ॥ ३५ ॥
brahma-svaṁ duranujñātaṁ bhuktaṁ hanti tri-pūruṣam prasahya tu balād bhuktaṁ daśa pūrvān daśāparān
If one enjoys a brāhmaṇa’s property without proper permission, it destroys three generations. But if it is seized by force or usurped with the help of royal power and then enjoyed, ten generations of ancestors and ten generations of descendants are all destroyed.
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, tri-pūruṣa refers to oneself, one’s sons and one’s grandsons.
FAQs
This verse warns that enjoying a brāhmaṇa’s property without proper permission brings severe ruin—destroying three generations, and if taken by force, destroying ten generations before and ten after.
In the Bhagavatam’s dharma framework, harming or exploiting brāhmaṇas and sacred trust undermines spiritual order; therefore the karmic reaction is described as exceptionally grave.
Avoid exploiting religious institutions, teachers, or charitable funds; seek clear consent, fair exchange, and ethical conduct—especially with sacred or entrusted resources.