Verse 14

Parabrahma

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

कर्मण्यधिकृताः ये तु वैदिके लौकिकेऽपि वा । ब्राह्मणाभासमात्रेण जीवन्ते कुक्षिपूरकाः । व्रजन्ते निरयं ते तु पुनर्जन्मनि जन्मनि ॥१४॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

कर्मणि-अधिकृताः । ये । तु । वैदिके । लौकिके-अपि । वा । ब्राह्मण-आभास-मात्रेण । जीवन्ते । कुक्षि-पूरकाः । व्रजन्ते । निरयम् । ते । तु । पुनः-जन्मनि । जन्मनि ॥१४॥

IAST Transliteration

karmaṇy adhikṛtā ye tu vaidike laukike 'pi vā | brāhmaṇābhāsamātreṇa jīvante kukṣipūrākāḥ | vrajante nirayaṃ te tu punarjanmani janmani ||14||

Translation

ಆದರೆ ಕರ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ ಅಧಿಕಾರ ಹೊಂದಿರುವವರು—ವೈದಿಕವಾಗಲಿ ಲೋಕಿಕವಾಗಲಿ—ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣತ್ವದ ಕೇವಲ ಆಭಾಸದಿಂದ ಹೊಟ್ಟೆ ತುಂಬಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾ ಬದುಕುವವರು; ಅವರು ಜನ್ಮಜನ್ಮಾಂತರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಶ್ಚಯವಾಗಿ ನರಕಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾರೆ.

Academic Translation

But those who are authorized for action—whether Vedic or even worldly—who live merely by the semblance of being Brahmins, filling their bellies: they go to hell, indeed, in birth after birth.

Verse Context

• Karma vs. jñāna; hypocrisy (dharma-ābhāsa) and bondage (saṃsāra)
• Mahavakya: Indirect: underscores that without realization of the Self (as in ‘अहं ब्रह्मास्मि’/‘तत् त्वम् असि’), ritual/social identity cannot liberate; karma done for gain perpetuates saṃsāra.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)