ये च तुंगासनारूढाः कथां शृण्वंति दांभिकाः । अक्षयान्नरकान्भुक्त्वा ते भवंत्येव वायसाः
ye ca tuṃgāsanārūḍhāḥ kathāṃ śṛṇvaṃti dāṃbhikāḥ | akṣayānnarakānbhuktvā te bhavaṃtyeva vāyasāḥ
Dan para munafik yang mendengarkan wacana suci sambil duduk di singgasana tinggi—setelah menanggung neraka yang ‘tak berkesudahan’, mereka sungguh terlahir kembali sebagai gagak.
Unknown (context not supplied; likely a purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)
Scene: A proud listener sits on an elevated throne-like seat while others sit on the ground; the vyāsa’s gaze is calm; behind the proud man, a crow motif foreshadows rebirth after ‘akṣaya’ hells.
Humility is essential in sacred settings; prideful display corrupts religious merit.
No tīrtha is mentioned; the teaching is about general dharma in kathā assemblies.
Do not sit on an elevated seat in a way that signals arrogance while hearing kathā.