Shloka 27
Glory of Nīla Mountain and the Prelude to King Ratnagrīva’s Legend
नीलीविक्रयकर्तारो लाक्षाविक्रयकारकाः । यो ब्राह्मणो घृतादीनि विक्रीणाति सुरापकः
nīlīvikrayakartāro lākṣāvikrayakārakāḥ | yo brāhmaṇo ghṛtādīni vikrīṇāti surāpakaḥ
Los que comercian con índigo, los que trafican con laca, y aquel brāhmaṇa que vende ghee y bienes semejantes: todos ellos han de ser tenidos por bebedores de licor.
Not explicitly stated in the provided excerpt (context within Pātāla-khaṇḍa Adhyaya 17 likely continues a didactic discourse on conduct).
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नीलीविक्रयकर्तारो → nīlī-vikraya-kartāraḥ (कर्तारः + ओ = कर्तारो); घृतादीनि → ghṛta-ādīni; सुरापकः → surā-pakaḥ.
FAQs
It classifies certain kinds of commerce—especially when undertaken by a brāhmaṇa—as gravely blameworthy, equating the resulting impurity with the stigma of drinking liquor.
In Dharmaśāstra-style moral reasoning echoed in Purāṇic passages, some livelihoods are treated as spiritually contaminating; the verse uses “surāpaka” as a strong marker of ritual and ethical demerit.
The Pātāla-khaṇḍa often includes normative guidance on right conduct (dharma) and social duties; this verse fits that didactic frame by warning against occupations considered incompatible with brāhmaṇa ideals.