धर्मनिन्दा–धर्मोपासनाफलम् तथा साध्वाचारलक्षणम्
Fruits of Disparaging vs. Observing Dharma; Marks of Good Conduct
कर्मणा दुष्कृतेनेह स्थानादू भ्रश्यति वै द्विज: । ज्येष्ठ॑ वर्णमनुप्राप्प तस्माद् रक्षेत वै द्विज:
karmaṇā duṣkṛtenehā sthānād bhraśyati vai dvijaḥ | jyeṣṭhaṁ varṇam anuprāpya tasmād rakṣeta vai dvijaḥ ||
Śrī Maheśvara dit : «En commettant des actes coupables en cette vie même, le “deux-fois-né” tombe assurément de sa juste position et de sa dignité. C’est pourquoi, ayant obtenu la naissance dans l’ordre social le plus élevé, un dvija doit veiller avec soin à préserver sa conduite légitime et ses limites.»
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Sinful action (duṣkṛta) causes a dvija to fall from his rightful station and dignity; therefore one who has attained a privileged birth must preserve dharma—self-restraint, purity of conduct, and the limits (maryādā) appropriate to his role.
Śrī Maheśvara is instructing about ethical discipline: he warns that wrongdoing brings immediate degradation in this world, and he urges the twice-born to guard their conduct, especially since they are expected to uphold exemplary standards.