Shloka 7

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

गुरौ चानृतिके पापे कृतघ्ने ग्रामयाजके । वेदविक्रयिणे दत्तं तथा वृषलयाजके

Transliteration

gurau cānṛtike pāpe kṛtaghne grāmayājake | vedavikrayiṇe dattaṃ tathā vṛṣalayājake ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya nói: “Bố thí cho người thầy gian trá, tội lỗi và bất tín; cho kẻ vô ơn; cho thầy tế làng làm lễ vì tiền công; cho kẻ buôn bán Veda; và cũng vậy, cho tư tế hành lễ cho những kẻ bị xem là ngoài giai cấp—sự cho ấy bị vấy bẩn về đạo lý và không sinh công đức thanh tịnh như người ta mong nơi dāna.”

Word by Word

• गुरौ: in/with the teacher
• गुरौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• अनृतिके: in/with a liar (female)/false person
• अनृतिके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृतिका
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• पापे: in/with a sinful (person)
• पापे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कृतघ्ने: in/with an ungrateful person
• कृतघ्ने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतघ्न
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• ग्रामयाजके: in/with a village-priest (one who officiates for a village)
• ग्रामयाजके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रामयाजक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वेदविक्रयिणे: to a seller of the Veda
• वेदविक्रयिणे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदविक्रयिन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• दत्तम्: given (a gift)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise/so also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• वृषलयाजके: in/with one who officiates for a śūdra (vṛṣala-priest)
• वृषलयाजके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषलयाजक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• guru (teacher)
• grāmayājaka (village priest)
• vedavikrayin (seller of Veda)
• vṛṣalayājaka (priest officiating for vṛṣalas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Charity is not judged only by the act of giving; the recipient’s truthfulness, gratitude, and adherence to dharma matter. Giving to deceitful, sinful, ungrateful, or professionally/ritually compromised recipients is portrayed as morally flawed and less fruitful in merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is instructing his listeners on dharmic standards, specifically identifying categories of recipients considered unworthy for dāna. The verse functions as a normative warning within a broader discourse on righteous conduct.