Shloka 5
Prohibitions and Rules of Right Conduct (Ācāra): Theft, Speech, Purity, Residence, and Social Boundaries
न देवद्रव्यहारी स्याद्विशेषेण द्विजोत्तमः । ब्रह्मस्वं वा नापहरेदापत्स्वपि कदाचन
na devadravyahārī syādviśeṣeṇa dvijottamaḥ | brahmasvaṃ vā nāpaharedāpatsvapi kadācana
Jangan sekali-kali mencuri harta milik para dewa, terlebih lagi bagi yang utama di antara kaum dwija. Dan jangan pernah merampas milik Brāhmaṇa, bahkan pada masa kesusahan sekalipun.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (Svargakhaṇḍa narrative voice; commonly framed within a Purāṇic dialogue such as Pulastya → Bhīṣma, but not verifiable from this single verse alone).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्याद्विशेṣeṇa → syāt viśeṣeṇa; नापहरेदापत्स्वपि → na apaharet āpatsu api.
FAQs
Devadravya refers to wealth dedicated to a deity or temple—offerings, endowments, and resources meant for worship and sacred purposes. The verse forbids appropriating it as theft.
It stresses heightened responsibility: an exemplary member of the twice-born classes—especially a Brahmin—must be even more vigilant in upholding dharma, making theft of sacred or Brahmin property particularly reprehensible.
The verse teaches that moral boundaries remain binding even under hardship: necessity does not justify stealing consecrated wealth or Brahmin property.