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Shloka 14

ब्रह्मस्वहरण-निषेधः — Prohibition of Appropriating Brahmin Property

Brahmasva

सोम॑ तु रजसा ध्वस्तं विक्रीणन्‌ विधिपूर्वकम्‌ | श्रोत्रियो वार्धुषी भूत्वा न चिरं स विनश्यति

somaṃ tu rajasā dhvastaṃ vikrīṇan vidhipūrvakam | śrotriyo vārddhuṣī bhūtvā na ciraṃ sa vinaśyati ||

പൊടിയാൽ മലിനമായ സോമം ഒരു ശ്രോത്രിയനും വേദവേതാവുമായ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ വിധിപൂർവം വിൽക്കുകയായാലും, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വാർധുഷിയായി (പലിശ) മാറി പലിശയ്ക്ക് പണം കൊടുത്തു ജീവിക്കുകയായാലും—അവൻ ദീർഘകാലം നിലനിൽക്കുകയില്ല; വേഗം നശിക്കുന്നു.

सोमम्Soma (juice/plant)
सोमम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसोम
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
रजसाwith dust
रजसा:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootरजस्
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
ध्वस्तम्spoiled/defiled
ध्वस्तम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootध्वस्त
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
विक्रीणन्selling
विक्रीणन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवि-√क्री
FormPresent (participle), Singular, Parasmaipada, Masculine, Nominative
विधिपूर्वकम्according to rule/ritually
विधिपूर्वकम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootविधि-पूर्वक
श्रोत्रियःa Veda-learned Brahmin
श्रोत्रियः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootश्रोत्रिय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
वार्धुषीusury/interest (money-lending at interest)
वार्धुषी:
TypeNoun
Rootवार्धुषी
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
भूत्वाhaving become/being
भूत्वा:
TypeVerb
Root√भू
FormAbsolutive (Gerund)
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
चिरम्for long
चिरम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootचिर
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
विनश्यतिperishes/is ruined
विनश्यति:
TypeVerb
Rootवि-√नश्
FormPresent, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

चाण्डाल उवाच

चाण्डाल (Caṇḍāla)
सोम (Soma)
श्रोत्रिय ब्राह्मण (śrotriya brāhmaṇa)
वार्धुषी (usury/moneylending at interest)

Educational Q&A

Ritual correctness alone cannot justify an unethical livelihood: selling impure sacrificial Soma or adopting usury is portrayed as adharma that leads to swift downfall, even for a Veda-learned Brahmin.

A Caṇḍāla speaker delivers a moral warning about conduct and livelihood, criticizing certain practices (trade in defiled Soma and moneylending at interest) as spiritually and socially destructive, regardless of one’s learning or status.