Shloka 19
धर्मनिन्दा–धर्मोपासनाफलम् तथा साध्वाचारलक्षणम्
Fruits of Disparaging vs. Observing Dharma; Marks of Good Conduct
शूद्रान्नेनावशेषेण जठरे यो म्रियेद् द्विज: । आहिताग्निस्तथा यज्वा स शूद्रगतिभाग् भवेत्
śūdrānnenāvaśeṣeṇa jaṭhare yo mriyed dvijaḥ | āhitāgnis tathā yajvā sa śūdragatibhāg bhavet ||
Mahādeva disse: “Se um homem duas-vezes-nascido morre com o resto de comida fornecida por um Śūdra ainda no estômago, então—mesmo que tenha mantido os fogos sagrados e realizado sacrifícios—torna-se partícipe do destino do Śūdra; isto é, deve alcançar um renascimento na condição de Śūdra.”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that ritual status (being an āhitāgni or yajvā) does not override the karmic and dharmic consequences of violating prescribed conduct regarding food and purity; one’s end-state and rebirth are shaped by adherence to ācāra as well as ritual performance.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic setting, Maheśvara is delivering a rule-like instruction about the consequences for a dvija who dies after consuming (and still retaining) food deemed improper by the text’s purity norms, stating that such a person attains a Śūdra-associated destiny despite prior sacrificial credentials.