Shloka 23
महाभिष-गङ्गा-दर्शनं वसूनां शापकथनं च
Mahābhiṣa Encounters Gaṅgā; The Vasus Explain Their Curse
अधीयान: पण्डितं मन्यमानो यो विद्यया हन्ति यश: परेषाम् | तस्यान्तवन्तश्ष भवन्ति लोका न चास्य तद् ब्रह्म फलं ददाति,जो वेदोंका अध्ययन करके अपनेको सबसे बड़ा पण्डित मानता और अपनी विद्याद्वारा दूसरोंके यशका नाश करता है, उसके पुण्यलोक अन्तवान् (विनाशशील) होते हैं और उसका पढ़ा हुआ वेद भी उसे फल नहीं देता
adhīyānaḥ paṇḍitaṃ manyamāno yo vidyayā hanti yaśaḥ pareṣām | tasyāntavantaś ca bhavanti lokā na cāsya tad brahma phalaṃ dadāti |
Aṣṭaka says: One who studies the Veda yet, imagining himself a great scholar, uses his learning to destroy the reputation of others—such a person’s meritorious worlds are not lasting. Even that sacred knowledge (brahman, i.e., the Veda) does not yield its true fruit to him, for learning divorced from humility and goodwill becomes ethically barren.
अष्टक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vedic learning must be joined to humility and benevolence. If one uses knowledge to harm others—especially by ruining their reputation—then the spiritual ‘fruit’ of that learning is lost, and even earned heavenly merit becomes impermanent.
Aṣṭaka is speaking a moral instruction: he critiques the arrogant scholar who weaponizes learning against others. The verse frames this as a dharmic warning about the consequences—unstable merit-worlds and the failure of Vedic study to yield its intended spiritual result.