Shloka 24

Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline

Devanagari script

धर्म उवाच राजपौरुषिके विप्रे घाण्टिके परिचारिके । गोरक्षके वाणिजके तथा कारुकुशीलवे

Transliteration

dharma uvāca rājapauruṣike vipre ghāṇṭike paricārike | gorakṣake vāṇijake tathā kārukuśīlave, piṇḍadāstasya hīyante na ca prīṇāti vai pitṝn |

Translation

Dharma nói: “Này brāhmaṇa, nếu có kẻ sống bằng việc hầu hạ triều đình, hoặc lĩnh tiền công vì đánh chuông, hoặc làm kẻ hầu hạ người khác; nếu mưu sinh bằng chăn giữ bò, bằng buôn bán, hoặc bằng nghề thủ công và diễn xướng—thì người đem piṇḍa (lễ vật tang) dâng cho hạng ấy sẽ suy giảm công đức, và tổ tiên cũng không được thỏa lòng.”

Word by Word

• धर्मः: Dharma (personified)
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजपौरुषिके: in/with one who is a king's servant/retainer
• राजपौरुषिके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजपौरुषिक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• विप्रे: in/with a brahmin
• विप्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• घाण्टिके: in/with a bell-ringer
• घाण्टिके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: घाण्टिक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• परिचारिके: in/with an attendant/servant
• परिचारिके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिचारिक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• गोरक्षके: in/with a cowherd/cattle-keeper
• गोरक्षके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोरक्षक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वाणिजके: in/with a trader/merchant
• वाणिजके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणिजक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तथा: and likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• कारुकुशीलवे: in/with an artisan and an actor/bard
• कारुकुशीलवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारुकुशीलव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पिण्डदाः: givers of piṇḍa (funeral offering)
• पिण्डदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्डद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तस्य: of him/of that (such a person)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• हीयन्ते: decline / suffer loss
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

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

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रीणाति: satisfies/pleases
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

धर्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• pitṛs (ancestors)
• piṇḍa (śrāddha offering)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the efficacy of ancestral offerings (piṇḍa/śrāddha) depends not only on the giver’s intent but also on the ritual fitness of the recipient; giving śrāddha offerings to certain livelihood-groups is said to diminish the giver’s merit and fail to satisfy the ancestors.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dharma is laying down prescriptive norms for pitṛ-kārya (ancestral rites) within a broader Anuśāsana-parvan discussion on dharma, specifying categories of people to whom śrāddha offerings should not be given, and stating the negative consequence for the giver and the pitṛs.