Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 293
Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline
तस्य दोषान् प्रवक्ष्यामि तच्छुणुध्वं समाहिता: । अग्नि बोले--जो दुर्बुद्धि मनुष्य लात उठाकर उससे गौका
tasya doṣān pravakṣyāmi tac chṛṇudhvaṃ samāhitāḥ |
Dharma said: “I shall now declare the faults (sins and demerits) that arise from such conduct. Listen to this with collected minds.” In context, he is about to enumerate the grave ethical consequences incurred by a foolish person who, in arrogance, strikes out with the foot and makes contact with a cow, a venerable brāhmaṇa, or a blazing fire—acts treated as serious violations of dharma.
धर्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma teaches that certain beings and symbols—especially the cow, the brāhmaṇa, and fire—are to be approached with reverence and self-control; contemptuous physical aggression (even by kicking) is a serious breach of dharma that yields heavy moral fault (doṣa).
Dharma, as the speaker, announces that he will list the specific faults and consequences connected with an act of arrogant disrespect—touching/striking with the foot a cow, a venerable brāhmaṇa, or a blazing fire—and urges the listeners to pay close attention.