Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सुरापो ब्रह्दाहा क्षुद्रचोरो भग्नव्रतो 5शुचि: । स्वाध्यायवर्जित: पापो लुब्धो नैकृतिक: शठ:,शराबी, ब्रह्महत्यारा, नीच, चोर, व्रतभंग करनेवाला, अपवित्र, स्वाध्यायहीन, पापी, लोभी, कपटी, शठ, व्रतका पालन न करनेवाला, शूद्रजातिकी स्त्रीका स्वामी, कुण्डाशी (पतिके जीते-जी उत्पन्न किये हुए जारज पुत्रके घरमें खानेवाला अथवा पाकपात्रमें ही भोजन करनेवाला), सोमरस बेचनेवाला और नीचसेवी ब्राह्मण ब्राह्मणकी योनिसे भ्रष्ट हो जाता है

Transliteration

surāpo brahmahā kṣudracoro bhagnavrato 'śuciḥ | svādhyāyavarjitaḥ pāpo lubdho naikṛtikaḥ śaṭhaḥ ||

Translation

ผู้ดื่มสุรา ผู้ฆ่าพราหมณ์ โจรชั้นต่ำ ผู้ทำลายพรต ผู้ไม่บริสุทธิ์; ผู้ละทิ้งสวาธยายะ ผู้บาปหนา ผู้โลภ ผู้คดโกง และผู้ทรยศ—พราหมณ์เช่นนั้นย่อมตกจากความศักดิ์สิทธิ์แห่งกำเนิดพราหมณ์।

Word by Word

सुरापःdrunkard; one who drinks liquor

ब्रह्महाslayer of a Brahmin

क्षुद्रचोरःpetty thief

भग्नव्रतःone whose vow is broken; vow-breaker

अशुचिःimpure

स्वाध्यायवर्जितःdevoid of Vedic study

पापःsinful; wicked

लुब्धःgreedy

नैकृतिकःnot straightforward; deceitful

शठःrogue; crafty person

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrī Maheśvara (Śiva)

brāhmaṇa (as a social-religious category)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that brāhmaṇa status is upheld by conduct—purity, truthfulness, vows, and especially svādhyāya—while grave sins (like intoxication, brahma-hatyā, theft) and inner vices (greed, deceit, treachery) cause a moral and spiritual fall from brāhmaṇa integrity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Maheśvara is delivering a dharma-instruction that lists disqualifying behaviors and vices. The statement functions as a normative warning: certain actions and character traits lead a brāhmaṇa to lose the dignity and merit associated with brāhmaṇa birth.