ये च तुंगासनारूढाः कथां शृण्वंति दांभिकाः । अक्षयान्नरकान्भुक्त्वा ते भवंत्येव वायसाः
ye ca tuṃgāsanārūḍhāḥ kathāṃ śṛṇvaṃti dāṃbhikāḥ | akṣayānnarakānbhuktvā te bhavaṃtyeva vāyasāḥ
Dan orang munafik yang mendengar wacana suci sambil duduk di tempat duduk yang tinggi—setelah menanggung neraka yang ‘tiada berkesudahan’, mereka benar-benar lahir semula sebagai gagak.
Unknown (context not supplied; likely a purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)
Scene: A proud listener sits on an elevated throne-like seat while others sit on the ground; the vyāsa’s gaze is calm; behind the proud man, a crow motif foreshadows rebirth after ‘akṣaya’ hells.
Humility is essential in sacred settings; prideful display corrupts religious merit.
No tīrtha is mentioned; the teaching is about general dharma in kathā assemblies.
Do not sit on an elevated seat in a way that signals arrogance while hearing kathā.