Shloka 9
धर्मनिन्दा–धर्मोपासनाफलम् तथा साध्वाचारलक्षणम्
Fruits of Disparaging vs. Observing Dharma; Marks of Good Conduct
यस्तु विप्रत्वमुत्सृज्य क्षात्रं धर्म निषेवते । ब्राह्मण्यात् स परिभ्रष्ट: क्षत्रयोनौ प्रजायते
yastu vipratvam utsṛjya kṣātraṃ dharmaṃ niṣevate | brāhmaṇyāt sa paribhraṣṭaḥ kṣatrayōnau prajāyate ||
Maheshvara disse: “Mas se um homem abandona o estado e os deveres de brāhmaṇa e, em vez disso, pratica o dharma do kṣatriya, ele decai da condição brāhmânica; tendo-se desviado de sua disciplina própria, nasce numa linhagem kṣatriya.”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that consciously abandoning one’s prescribed brāhmaṇa vocation to adopt kṣatriya-dharma is treated as a lapse from brāhmaṇa-hood, with karmic consequence expressed as rebirth in a kṣatriya lineage. It emphasizes fidelity to one’s svadharma as a moral and spiritual discipline.
Śrī Maheśvara is instructing about the consequences of transgressing or exchanging varṇa-based duties. He states a specific case: a brāhmaṇa who gives up brāhmaṇa conduct and takes up kṣatriya conduct is considered fallen from brāhmaṇya and is said to be born among kṣatriyas.