Shloka 156
ब्रह्मस्वहरण-निषेधः — Prohibition of Appropriating Brahmin Property
Brahmasva
तुलया धारयन् धर्ममभिमान्यतिरिच्यते । वह तीस नरकोंमें पड़कर अंतमें अपनी ही विष्ठापर जीनेवाला कीड़ा होता है। कुत्तोंको पालना
tulayā dhārayan dharmam abhimāny atiricyate |
Cāṇḍāla itu berkata: “Apabila dharma ditimbang di atas neraca, kesombongan mengatasinya.” Maksudnya, keangkuhan boleh menjadi lebih berat daripada kebenaran itu sendiri—suatu cela yang begitu kuat sehingga, apabila dibandingkan dengan dosa-dosa besar yang lain, ia tetap memiringkan timbangan dan menyeret manusia menuju kebinasaan.
चाण्डाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Pride (abhimāna) is portrayed as a uniquely destructive fault: when moral choices are ‘weighed,’ arrogance can outweigh dharma itself, corrupting judgment and leading one away from righteous conduct.
A Chāṇḍāla speaker delivers a pointed ethical maxim using the metaphor of a balance: in the moral reckoning of actions and dispositions, pride is said to tip the scale, emphasizing its danger within dharma-discourse in the Anuśāsana Parva.