Shloka 14

ब्रह्मस्वहरण-निषेधः — Prohibition of Appropriating Brahmin Property

Brahmasva

Devanagari script

सोम॑ तु रजसा ध्वस्तं विक्रीणन्‌ विधिपूर्वकम्‌ | श्रोत्रियो वार्धुषी भूत्वा न चिरं स विनश्यति

Transliteration

somaṃ tu rajasā dhvastaṃ vikrīṇan vidhipūrvakam | śrotriyo vārddhuṣī bhūtvā na ciraṃ sa vinaśyati ||

Translation

ధూళితో కలుషితమైన సోమాన్ని ఒక శ్రోత్రియుడు, వేదవేత్త బ్రాహ్మణుడు విధిపూర్వకంగా అమ్మినా, లేదా వార్ధుషీగా (సూదఖోరి) మారి వడ్డీకి ధనం ఇచ్చి జీవించినా—అతడు ఎక్కువకాలం నిలవడు; త్వరలోనే నశిస్తాడు.

Word by Word

• सोमम्: Soma (juice/plant)
• सोमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• रजसा: with dust
• रजसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• ध्वस्तम्: spoiled/defiled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्वस्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विक्रीणन्: selling
• विक्रीणन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√क्री
• Form: Present (participle), Singular, Parasmaipada, Masculine, Nominative

• विधिपूर्वकम्: according to rule/ritually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि-पूर्वक

• श्रोत्रियः: a Veda-learned Brahmin
• श्रोत्रियः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रोत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वार्धुषी: usury/interest (money-lending at interest)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्धुषी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भूत्वा: having become/being
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• चिरम्: for long
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिर

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विनश्यति: perishes/is ruined
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√नश्
• Form: Present, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

चाण्डाल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• चाण्डाल (Caṇḍāla)
• सोम (Soma)
• श्रोत्रिय ब्राह्मण (śrotriya brāhmaṇa)
• वार्धुषी (usury/moneylending at interest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual correctness alone cannot justify an unethical livelihood: selling impure sacrificial Soma or adopting usury is portrayed as adharma that leads to swift downfall, even for a Veda-learned Brahmin.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Caṇḍāla speaker delivers a moral warning about conduct and livelihood, criticizing certain practices (trade in defiled Soma and moneylending at interest) as spiritually and socially destructive, regardless of one’s learning or status.