Shloka 10
धर्मनिन्दा–धर्मोपासनाफलम् तथा साध्वाचारलक्षणम्
Fruits of Disparaging vs. Observing Dharma; Marks of Good Conduct
वैश्यकर्म च यो विप्रो लोभमोहव्यपाश्रय: । ब्राह्माण्यं दुर्लभं प्राप्प करोत्यल्पमति: सदा
vaiśyakarma ca yo vipro lobhamohavyapāśrayaḥ | brāhmaṇyaṁ durlabhaṁ prāpya karoty alpamatiḥ sadā ||
Wika ni Mahādeva: “Ang isang brāhmaṇa na, matapos makamtan ang bihirang kalagayan ng pagka-brāhmaṇa, ay umasa sa kasakiman at pagkalito at—dahil sa palagiang makitid na pag-iisip—kumukuha ng gawaing nararapat sa vaishya, ay nahuhulog sa kapanganakang vaishya. Gayundin, kung ang vaishya ay aampunin ang asal at gawaing pang-shudra, makakamtan niya ang katayuang shudra. Ang brāhmaṇa na gumagawa ng mga gawaing tulad ng shudra at sa gayon ay lumilihis sa sarili niyang dharma, ay makakamtan ang katayuang shudra.”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that abandoning one’s own dharma out of greed and delusion leads to moral and spiritual decline, expressed here as a fall into a lower social condition/birth. It emphasizes integrity of conduct (ācāra) and self-restraint as safeguards of one’s station and responsibilities.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Mahādeva is speaking in a didactic context, laying down norms of conduct and consequences. Here he states that when members of a varṇa adopt the work and behavior of another varṇa due to base motives, they incur degradation, framed as rebirth into that lower status.