Shloka 20
धर्मनिन्दा–धर्मोपासनाफलम् तथा साध्वाचारलक्षणम्
Fruits of Disparaging vs. Observing Dharma; Marks of Good Conduct
तेन शूद्रान्नशेषेण ब्रह्म॒स्थानादपाकृत: । ब्राह्मण: शूद्रतामेति नास्ति तत्र विचारणा
tena śūdrānnaśeṣeṇa brahmasthānād apākṛtaḥ | brāhmaṇaḥ śūdratām eti nāsti tatra vicāraṇā ||
तेन शूद्रान्नशेषेण ब्रह्मस्थानादपाकृतः । ब्राह्मणः शूद्रतामेति नास्ति तत्र विचारणा ॥
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a strict dharmic rule: a Brāhmaṇa who eats the leftover food of a Śūdra incurs a grave loss of ritual-social standing, being said to fall from the Brahmanic state and become Śūdra-like; the text presents this as non-negotiable.
Śrīmaheśvara is delivering an authoritative instruction on conduct (ācāra) and the consequences of violating food-related purity norms within varṇāśrama ethics, emphasizing that this particular consequence admits no exception.