Shloka 19
ययातिदौहित्रपुण्यसमुच्चयः | Yayāti and the Grandsons’ Consolidation of Merit
ययातिरुवाच नाहं प्रतिग्रहधनो ब्राह्मण: क्षत्रियो हाहम् | नच मे प्रवणा बुद्धि: परपुण्यविनाशने,ययातिने कहा--प्रतिग्रह ही जिसका धन है, वह ब्राह्मण मैं नहीं हूँ। मैं तो क्षत्रिय हूँ। अतः मेरी बुद्धि पराये पुण्यका (ग्रहण करके उनका पुण्य) क्षय करनेके लिये उद्यत नहीं है
yayātir uvāca: nāhaṃ pratigraha-dhano brāhmaṇaḥ; kṣatriyo hy aham | na ca me praṇavā buddhiḥ para-puṇya-vināśane ||
Яяти сказал: «Я не брахман, чьё богатство — в принятии даров; я кшатрий. Потому мой ум не склонен уничтожать чужую заслугу, принимая подношение и тем самым уменьшая их духовный кредит».
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical restraint regarding wealth and religious merit: one should not accept gifts in a way that harms the donor’s spiritual merit, and one should act according to one’s dharma (here, Yayāti distinguishes Kshatriya conduct from Brahmin livelihood based on pratigraha).
Yayāti responds by clarifying his social role and moral stance: he rejects being treated as a Brahmin dependent on gift-acceptance and asserts he is a Kshatriya, therefore he will not engage in conduct that would diminish another person’s puṇya through improper acceptance.