Shloka 4
Brāhmaṇa-Dharma, Āśrama Eligibility, and the Primacy of Rāja-Dharma (Śānti Parva 63)
क्षात्राणि वैश्यानि च सेवमान: शौद्राणि कर्माणि च ब्राह्मण: सन् | अस्मिल्लोके निन्दितो मन्दचेता: परे च लोके निरयं प्रयाति,जो ब्राह्मण होकर क्षत्रिय, वैश्य और शूट्रोंके कर्मोका सेवन करता है, वह मन्दबुद्धि पुरुष इस लोकमें निन्दित और परलोकमें नरकगामी होता है
kṣātrāṇi vaiśyāni ca sevamānaḥ śūdrāṇi karmāṇi ca brāhmaṇaḥ san | asmiṁl loke nindito mandacetāḥ pare ca loke nirayaṁ prayāti |
ຢຸທິສຖິຣະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຖ້າຊາຍຜູ້ໜຶ່ງເປັນພຣາຫມັນຕາມສະຖານະ ແຕ່ກັບໄປປະກອບໜ້າທີ່ຂອງກະສັດຕຣິຍະ, ໄວສະຍະ ແລະ ຊູດຣະ ກໍຈະຖືກຕຳນິໃນໂລກນີ້; ແລະເພາະປັນຍາທຶບທື່ນ ຈະໄປສູ່ນະລົກໃນໂລກໜ້າ. ຄຳສອນນີ້ເນັ້ນວ່າ ລະບຽບທາງຈິດທຳຕັ້ງຢູ່ເທິງຄວາມຊື່ສັດຕໍ່ທຳມະຂອງຕົນ ບໍ່ແມ່ນການສວຍໂອກາດໄປຮັບໜ້າທີ່ຂອງຜູ້ອື່ນ»។
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches adherence to one’s prescribed dharma (here, brāhmaṇa-dharma). A brāhmaṇa who deliberately adopts the occupations of other varṇas is censured in society and accrues grave demerit leading to a painful afterlife.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira raises a pointed ethical question about social and religious duty: what becomes of a brāhmaṇa who practices the works of kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras. The statement frames the discussion in terms of worldly reputation and otherworldly consequence.