Shloka 13
धर्मनिन्दा–धर्मोपासनाफलम् तथा साध्वाचारलक्षणम्
Fruits of Disparaging vs. Observing Dharma; Marks of Good Conduct
क्षत्रियो वा महाभागे वैश्यो वा धर्मचारिणि । स्वानि कर्माण्यपाहाय शूद्रकर्म निषेवते
kṣatriyo vā mahābhāge vaiśyo vā dharmacāriṇi | svāni karmāṇy apāhāya śūdrakarma niṣevate ||
Maheshvara bersabda: “Wahai wanita mulia, penegak dharma—entah ia seorang kṣatriya atau vaiśya, bila ia meninggalkan tugasnya sendiri lalu menekuni pekerjaan seorang śūdra, ia jatuh dari kedudukannya, menjadi sebab varṇa-saṅkara; dan pada kelahiran berikutnya ia terlahir dalam rahim śūdra. Siapa pun dia—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, atau vaiśya—dengan laku demikian ia sampai pada keadaan dan watak seorang śūdra.”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes svadharma: one should not abandon one’s prescribed responsibilities and adopt another varṇa’s occupational role out of disregard for dharma; such deviation is presented as ethically and socially destabilizing and as carrying karmic consequences, including a lower rebirth.
Maheshvara (Śiva) is instructing a noble woman addressed as “mahābhāge” and “dharmacāriṇi,” explaining the consequences, within a varṇa-dharma framework, of a Kshatriya or Vaishya giving up their own duties to perform Shudra-type work.