Shloka 14
ब्रह्मस्वहरण-निषेधः — Prohibition of Appropriating Brahmin Property
Brahmasva
सोम॑ तु रजसा ध्वस्तं विक्रीणन् विधिपूर्वकम् | श्रोत्रियो वार्धुषी भूत्वा न चिरं स विनश्यति
somaṃ tu rajasā dhvastaṃ vikrīṇan vidhipūrvakam | śrotriyo vārddhuṣī bhūtvā na ciraṃ sa vinaśyati ||
Bahkan bila seorang Brahmana yang menguasai Weda (śrotriya) menjual Soma yang telah ternoda debu—meski dilakukan menurut tata upacara—atau bila ia menjadi lintah darat dan hidup dari pinjaman berbunga, ia tidak bertahan lama; segera ia binasa.
चाण्डाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual correctness alone cannot justify an unethical livelihood: selling impure sacrificial Soma or adopting usury is portrayed as adharma that leads to swift downfall, even for a Veda-learned Brahmin.
A Caṇḍāla speaker delivers a moral warning about conduct and livelihood, criticizing certain practices (trade in defiled Soma and moneylending at interest) as spiritually and socially destructive, regardless of one’s learning or status.