Shloka 13
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
चतुर्धा पृथिवीं कृत्वा चातुर्होत्रप्रमाणत: । नाहमादातुमिच्छामि ब्रह्म॒स्वं द्विजसत्तमा:
caturdhā pṛthivīṃ kṛtvā cāturhotrapramāṇataḥ | nāham ādātum icchāmi brahmasvaṃ dvijasattamaḥ ||
વૈશંપાયન બોલ્યા—“ચાતુર્હોત્રના પ્રમાણ મુજબ પૃથ્વીને ચાર ભાગમાં વહેંચી દઈએ તોય, હે દ્વિજશ્રેષ્ઠો, હું બ્રાહ્મણોનું ધન—બ્રહ્મસ્વ—લેવા ઇચ્છતો નથી.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a dharmic limit on acquisition: brahmasva—wealth belonging to Brahmins or set apart for sacred purposes—should not be taken, even if one has the power to divide and distribute the entire earth. It elevates restraint and respect for sanctified ownership over political entitlement.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a speaker (addressing a Brahmin as “best of the twice-born”) declares refusal to appropriate brahmasva. The statement functions as a moral clarification within the Ashvamedhika context, where gifts, distributions, and royal authority are prominent themes.