Shloka 45

Devanagari script

लोभमोहपरीताश्च मिथ्याधर्मध्वजावृता: । भिक्षार्थ पृथिवीपाल चज्चूर्यन्ते द्विजैर्दिश:,राजन! वे ब्राह्मण लोभ और मोहमें फँसकर झूठे धर्मका ढोंग रचनेवाले होंगे, इतना ही नहीं, वे भिक्षाके लिये सारी दिशाओंके लोगोंको पीड़ित करते रहेंगे

Transliteration

lobhamohaparītāś ca mithyādharmadhvajāvṛtāḥ | bhikṣārthaṃ pṛthivīpāla ca cūryante dvijair diśaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O king, brahmins, overcome by greed and delusion and cloaked in the banner of false righteousness, will not merely beg for alms; in the name of seeking alms they will harass and oppress people in every direction.”

Word by Word

लोभby greed

मोहby delusion

परीताःsurrounded/overcome

चand

मिथ्याfalsely

धर्मof dharma/religion

ध्वजwith a banner/flag (as a sign)

आवृताःcovered/cloaked

भिक्षाalms

अर्थम्for the sake (of)

पृथिवीपालO protector of the earth (king)

चand

चूर्यन्तेare pained/harassed (lit. are robbed/plundered)

द्विजैःby the twice-born (brahmins)

दिशःthe directions/regions (people in all quarters)

राजन्O king

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

rājan (the king addressed)

dvija (brahmins)

diśaḥ (the directions/regions)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse condemns religious hypocrisy: when greed and delusion dominate, people may display the outward symbols of dharma while violating its essence, even harming society under a pious pretext. True dharma is measured by conduct and compassion, not by external appearance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses a king and describes a troubling social condition: brahmins, instead of embodying restraint and integrity, will be driven by greed and delusion, adopting the guise of righteousness and troubling people in all regions while seeking alms.