Shloka 2
ब्रह्मस्वहरण-निषेधः — Prohibition of Appropriating Brahmin Property
Brahmasva
युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--भरतश्रेष्ठ! जो मूर्ख और मंदबुद्धि मानव क्रूरतापूर्ण कर्ममें संलग्न रहकर ब्राह्मणोंके धनका अपहरण करते हैं, वे किस लोकमें जाते हैं? ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | pātakānāṁ paraṁ hy etad brahmasvaharaṇaṁ balāt | sānvayās te vinaśyanti caṇḍālāḥ pretya ceha ca | atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṁ purātanam | caṇḍālasya ca saṁvādaṁ kṣatrabandhoś ca bhārata |
Yudhiṣṭhira asked: “O best of the Bharatas, to what realm do those foolish, dull-witted men go, who, engaged in cruel deeds, steal the wealth of brāhmaṇas?” Bhīṣma said: “O king, the forcible seizure of a brāhmaṇa’s property is the highest of sins. Those who plunder brāhmaṇa wealth—men of Caṇḍāla-like disposition—perish along with their lineage, both in this world and after death. In this very matter, the learned cite an ancient precedent: a traditional tale concerning a dialogue between a Caṇḍāla and a ‘kṣatriya-in-name-only,’ O Bharata.”
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Forcibly taking a Brahmin’s wealth (brahmasva-haraṇa) is declared a supreme transgression, bringing ruin not only to the perpetrator but also to their lineage, with consequences both in this life and after death.
Yudhishthira asks Bhishma about the fate of cruel, foolish people who seize Brahmin wealth. Bhishma answers by condemning the act as the greatest sin and introduces an ancient illustrative story—a dialogue between a Chandala and a kshatriya-in-name-only—to reinforce the moral point.