Shloka 9

ब्रह्मस्वहरण-निषेधः — Prohibition of Appropriating Brahmin Property

Brahmasva

Devanagari script

अहं तत्रावसं राजन ब्रह्मचारी जितेन्द्रिय: । तासां मे रजसा ध्वस्तं भैक्षमासीन्नराधिप

Transliteration

ahaṁ tatrāvasaṁ rājan brahmacārī jitendriyaḥ | tāsāṁ me rajasā dhvastaṁ bhaikṣam āsīn narādhipa ||

Translation

ଚାଣ୍ଡାଳ କହିଲା—ରାଜନ! ମୁଁ ମଧ୍ୟ ସେଇ ଗାଁରେ ବ୍ରହ୍ମଚାରୀ ଓ ଜିତେନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟ ହୋଇ ବସୁଥିଲି। ନରାଧିପ! ଗୋଟିଏ ଦିନ ସେଇ ଗାଈମାନଙ୍କ ଉଠାଇଥିବା ଧୂଳିକଣାରେ ମୋର ଭିକ୍ଷାନ୍ନ ମଧ୍ୟ ଦୂଷିତ ହୋଇଗଲା।

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• अवसम्: I lived/dwelt
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (वासे)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• ब्रह्मचारी: a celibate student; observing brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जितेन्द्रियः: having conquered the senses; self-controlled
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जितेन्द्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तासाम्: of those (cows/women etc.)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• मे: my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• रजसा: by dust/pollen
• रजसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• ध्वस्तम्: spoiled/ruined/defiled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्वंस् (ध्वंसने)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भैक्षम्: alms-food; begged meal
• भैक्षम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्ष
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (भुवि)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नराधिप: O lord of men (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

चाण्डाल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• चाण्डाल (Caṇḍāla)
• राजन् / नराधिप (the King addressed)
• गाः (cows, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even sincere ascetic discipline (brahmacarya, sense-control) can be tested by external circumstances; the passage foregrounds the ethical tension between inner purity and socially/ritually defined notions of defilement.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Caṇḍāla recounts to a king that he lived in the same place as a self-controlled brahmacārī, but on one occasion his begged food became contaminated by dust (associated with the cows), setting up a discussion about impurity and dharma.