Shloka 23
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
ऋच्विजस्तमपर्यन्तं सुवर्णनिचयं तथा,ब्राह्मणोंके लेनेके बाद जो धन वहाँ पड़ा रह गया, उसे क्षत्रिय, वैश्य, शूद्र तथा म्लेच्छ जातिके लोग उठा ले गये
ṛtvijaḥ tam aparyantaṃ suvarṇa-nicayaṃ tathā | brāhmaṇaiḥ gṛhīteṣu śeṣaṃ yat tatra avatiṣṭhata | kṣatriyā vaiśyāḥ śūdrāś ca mleccha-jātayaś ca tad ajahruḥ ||
ໄວສຳປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ພຣະສົງພິທີ (ṛtvij) ໄດ້ຮັບກອງຄຳອັນຫາຂອບເຂດບໍ່ໄດ້. ຫຼັງຈາກພຣາຫມັນໄດ້ຮັບສ່ວນທີ່ຄວນໄດ້ຕາມທຳມະແລ້ວ ຊັບທີ່ຍັງເຫຼືອຢູ່ນັ້ນ ຖືກຂົນໄປໂດຍຜູ້ຄົນຈາກກຸ່ມອື່ນໆ—ກະສັດຕຣິຍ, ໄວສະຍ, ຊູດຣະ ແລະແມ່ນແຕ່ຜູ້ທີ່ຖືກເອີ້ນວ່າ ມເລັດຈະ. ພາບນີ້ຊີ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນວ່າ ຄ່າຕອບແທນພິທີ (dakṣiṇā) ຕ້ອງໄດ້ຮັບກ່ອນຕາມຂໍ້ກຳນົດ; ແລະເມື່ອສິດທີ່ກຳນົດໄດ້ຖືກສົມບູນແລ້ວ ສ່ວນເກີນກໍກາຍເປັນຂອງທີ່ຜູ້ຄົນທົ່ວໄປອາດເອົາໄປໄດ້.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that in a yajña the first ethical claim on wealth is the prescribed dakṣiṇā to the officiating priests; once that rightful due is met, any surplus is no longer bound by the same ritual obligation and may pass into broader social circulation.
During the Ashvamedha-related proceedings, an immense quantity of gold is present. The priests/Brāhmaṇas take their allotted share, and the remaining wealth lying there is then taken away by others—Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, Śūdras, and mleccha groups.