Shloka 7
Agastya-Māhātmya and Vasiṣṭha’s Protection of the Ādityas
Khalina Daityas; Sarayū Etiology
शूद्रस्य कर्मनिष्ठायां विकर्मस्थोडपि पच्यते । ब्राह्मण: क्षत्रियो वैश्यो विकर्मस्थश्न पच्यते
śūdrasya karmanisṭhāyāṁ vikarmastho ’pi pacyate | brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyo vaiśyo vikarmasthaś ca na pacyate ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ແມ່ນແຕ່ຊູດຣະຜູ້ຍຶດໝັ້ນໃນວຽກທີ່ກຳນົດໃຫ້ຕົນ ຖ້າເຂົ້າໄປສູ່ວິກັມມະ (ການກະທຳຕ້ອງຫ້າມ) ກໍຖືກລົງໂທດ. ແຕ່ພຣາຫມະນະ, ກະສັດຕຣິຍະ, ຫຼື ໄວຊະຍະ ຜູ້ຕັ້ງຢູ່ໃນວິກັມມະ ບໍ່ໄດ້ຖືກ ‘ຕົ້ມໃນນະລົກ’ ເພາະເກີ່ຍວພັນກັບວຽກແບບຊູດຣະເທົ່ານັ້ນ; ສິ່ງຊີ້ຂາດຄື ການຍຶດຕາມທຳຂອງຕົນ ຫຼື ການລ່ວງເຂົ້າສູ່ວິກັມມະ».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts steadfastness in prescribed duty (svakarma/varṇa-dharma) with vikarma (prohibited conduct), warning that transgression brings suffering; ethical accountability is framed in terms of following one’s ordained duties and avoiding forbidden actions.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he discusses consequences of vikarma and the importance of remaining established in one’s proper duties, using varṇa categories as the framework for the teaching.