Shloka 10
Manoḥ Carita
The Account of Manu Vaivasvata and the Mātsyaka Flood Narrative
ते तमूचुर्महात्मानं न वयं सत्क्रियां मुने । त्वत्तोर्ड्: कर्मदोषेण ब्राह्मणो हिंसितो हि न:,यह देखकर उन्होंने उन महात्मासे कहा--“मुने! हम अपने दूषित कर्मके कारण आपसे सत्कार पानेयोग्य नहीं रह गये हैं। हमसे एक ब्राह्मणकी हत्या हो गयी है”
te tam ūcur mahātmānaṁ na vayaṁ satkriyāṁ mune | tvatto 'rdhāt karmadoṣeṇa brāhmaṇo hiṁsito hi naḥ ||
They said to that great-souled sage: “O muni, we are no longer fit to receive honour or hospitality from you, for our actions have been tainted. Through a fault in our conduct, a brāhmaṇa has been slain by us.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral impurity arising from wrongful action can make one feel unworthy of honour and sacred hospitality; acknowledging wrongdoing—especially grave harm to a brāhmaṇa—signals awareness of dharma and the need for expiation and restoration of right conduct.
A group addresses a revered sage (in Markandeya’s narration), confessing that they are not deserving of respectful reception because, through a fault in their actions, they have caused the death of a brāhmaṇa.