Shloka 24
Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline
धर्म उवाच राजपौरुषिके विप्रे घाण्टिके परिचारिके । गोरक्षके वाणिजके तथा कारुकुशीलवे
dharma uvāca rājapauruṣike vipre ghāṇṭike paricārike | gorakṣake vāṇijake tathā kārukuśīlave, piṇḍadāstasya hīyante na ca prīṇāti vai pitṝn |
Dharma dit : «Ô brāhmaṇa, si quelqu’un vit du service du roi, ou gagne un salaire en sonnant la cloche, ou sert autrui comme domestique ; s’il subsiste en gardant le bétail, en faisant commerce, ou par les métiers et l’art de la représentation, alors celui qui lui donne le piṇḍa (offrande funéraire) décline en mérite, et les ancêtres ne sont pas satisfaits.»
धर्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the efficacy of ancestral offerings (piṇḍa/śrāddha) depends not only on the giver’s intent but also on the ritual fitness of the recipient; giving śrāddha offerings to certain livelihood-groups is said to diminish the giver’s merit and fail to satisfy the ancestors.
Dharma is laying down prescriptive norms for pitṛ-kārya (ancestral rites) within a broader Anuśāsana-parvan discussion on dharma, specifying categories of people to whom śrāddha offerings should not be given, and stating the negative consequence for the giver and the pitṛs.