Shloka 29
अश्वमेधावसानम् — Dakṣiṇā-vibhāga and Avabhṛtha
Completion of the Aśvamedha
पापेन कर्मणा विप्रो धन प्राप्प निरडकुश: । रागमोहान्वित: सो<न्ते कलुषां गतिमश्लुते,जो ब्राह्मण पापकर्मसे धन पाकर उच्छुंखल हो राग और मोहके वशीभूत हो जाता है, वह अन्तमें कलुषित गतिको प्राप्त होता है
pāpena karmaṇā vipro dhanaṁ prāpya nir-aṅkuśaḥ | rāga-mohānvitah so 'nte kaluṣāṁ gatim aśnute ||
Vaiśampāyana said: A brāhmaṇa who gains wealth through sinful deeds becomes unrestrained; overcome by attachment and delusion, he finally attains a tainted, impure destiny. The verse warns that prosperity acquired by wrongdoing corrodes self-control and leads to moral and spiritual downfall.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wealth gained through sinful means undermines restraint and clarity; when a brāhmaṇa (or anyone) becomes driven by attachment and delusion, the final consequence is an impure destiny—ethical means matter as much as material gain.
Vaiśampāyana delivers a didactic statement within the Ashvamedhika Parva’s moral discourse, warning about the spiritual consequences of acquiring wealth through wrongdoing and the psychological slide into unrestrained behavior.