Shloka 22
ब्रह्मस्वहरण-निषेधः — Prohibition of Appropriating Brahmin Property
Brahmasva
Devanagari script
तथा पापकृतं विप्रमाश्रमस्थं महीपते
Transliteration
tathā pāpakṛtaṁ vipram āśramasthaṁ mahīpate
Translation
ข้าแต่มหีปติ! ฉันใดก็ฉันนั้น พราหมณ์ผู้ก่อบาป แม้อยู่ในอาศรมแห่งวินัยธรรม ก็พึงถูกพิจารณาตามกรรมนั้น
Word by Word
तथाthus, in that manner
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
पापकृतम्sin-doing, evil-doing (person)
पापकृतम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपापकृत्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
विप्रम्a brahmin
विप्रम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootविप्र
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
आश्रमस्थम्dwelling in an āśrama (hermitage)
आश्रमस्थम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootआश्रमस्थ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
महीपतेO king, lord of the earth
महीपते:
TypeNoun
Rootमहीपति
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
Speaker
चाण्डाल उवाच
Characters & Entities
च
चाण्डाल (Caṇḍāla, speaker)म
महīपति (the king, addressee)व
विप्र (a brahmin)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Moral responsibility is not erased by social identity or religious residence: even a brahmin living in an āśrama remains accountable for sinful actions; dharma evaluates conduct, not merely status.
A Caṇḍāla addresses a king and draws an ethical comparison: he points out that if a brahmin commits wrongdoing, his being situated in an āśrama does not automatically sanctify him—setting up a broader argument about judging people by deeds.