Shloka 7

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

गुरौ चानृतिके पापे कृतघ्ने ग्रामयाजके । वेदविक्रयिणे दत्तं तथा वृषलयाजके

Transliteration

gurau cānṛtike pāpe kṛtaghne grāmayājake | vedavikrayiṇe dattaṃ tathā vṛṣalayājake ||

Translation

வஞ்சகமும் பாவமும் பொய்மையும் கொண்ட குருவுக்கு; நன்றிகெட்டவனுக்கு; கிராமயாஜகனுக்கு (லாபத்திற்காகச் சடங்குகள் செய்வவனுக்கு); வேதத்தை விற்பவனுக்கு; மேலும் வ்ருஷலயாஜகனுக்கு (வ்ருஷலர்களுக்காக யாஜனம் செய்வவனுக்கு)—இவர்களுக்கு அளிக்கும் தானம் தூய புண்ணியப் பலனை அளிக்காது.

Word by Word

गुरौin/with the teacher

चand

अनृतिकेin/with a liar (female)/false person

पापेin/with a sinful (person)

कृतघ्नेin/with an ungrateful person

ग्रामयाजकेin/with a village-priest (one who officiates for a village)

वेदविक्रयिणेto a seller of the Veda

दत्तम्given (a gift)

तथाlikewise/so also

वृषलयाजकेin/with one who officiates for a śūdra (vṛṣala-priest)

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

guru (teacher)

grāmayājaka (village priest)

vedavikrayin (seller of Veda)

vṛṣalayājaka (priest officiating for vṛṣalas)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Charity is not judged only by the act of giving; the recipient’s truthfulness, gratitude, and adherence to dharma matter. Giving to deceitful, sinful, ungrateful, or professionally/ritually compromised recipients is portrayed as morally flawed and less fruitful in merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is instructing his listeners on dharmic standards, specifically identifying categories of recipients considered unworthy for dāna. The verse functions as a normative warning within a broader discourse on righteous conduct.