Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 9
Śrāddhadeva Manu’s Sons: Pṛṣadhra’s Curse and Renunciation; Genealogies of Nariṣyanta and Diṣṭa
तं शशाप कुलाचार्य: कृतागसमकामत: । न क्षत्रबन्धु: शूद्रस्त्वं कर्मणा भवितामुना ॥ ९ ॥
taṁ śaśāpa kulācāryaḥ kṛtāgasam akāmataḥ na kṣatra-bandhuḥ śūdras tvaṁ karmaṇā bhavitāmunā
यद्यपि पृषध्र ने यह पाप अनजाने में किया था, फिर भी कुलाचार्य वसिष्ठ ने उसे शाप दिया—“इस कर्म के कारण तुम अगले जन्म में क्षत्रिय नहीं रहोगे; तुम शूद्र-योनि में जन्म लोगे।”
It appears that Vasiṣṭha was not free from tamo-guṇa, the mode of ignorance. As the family priest or spiritual master of Pṛṣadhra, Vasiṣṭha should have taken Pṛṣadhra’s offense very lightly, but instead Vasiṣṭha cursed him to become a śūdra. It is the duty of a family priest not to curse a disciple but to give him relief through the performance of some sort of atonement. Vasiṣṭha, however, did just the opposite. Therefore Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that he was durmati; in other words, his intelligence was not very good.
FAQs
This verse states that social designation is not merely by birth-name; a person becomes “kṣatriya” or “śūdra” in qualification through karma (conduct), and wrongdoing can lead to loss of kṣatriya status.
Because an offense had been committed; even if it was unintentional (akāmataḥ), the act was still considered culpable, and the priest pronounced a curse reflecting the moral consequence.
Intent matters, but responsibility for one’s actions remains; integrity and self-discipline protect one’s dignity, while careless mistakes can bring lasting consequences.