Shloka 9
Śrāddhadeva Manu’s Sons: Pṛṣadhra’s Curse and Renunciation; Genealogies of Nariṣyanta and Diṣṭa
तं शशाप कुलाचार्य: कृतागसमकामत: । न क्षत्रबन्धु: शूद्रस्त्वं कर्मणा भवितामुना ॥ ९ ॥
taṁ śaśāpa kulācāryaḥ kṛtāgasam akāmataḥ na kṣatra-bandhuḥ śūdras tvaṁ karmaṇā bhavitāmunā
尽管普利沙陀罗是无意中犯下此罪，家族导师瓦西什塔仍咒诅他说：“因这业行，你将不能再为刹帝利；你必将投生为首陀罗。”
It appears that Vasiṣṭha was not free from tamo-guṇa, the mode of ignorance. As the family priest or spiritual master of Pṛṣadhra, Vasiṣṭha should have taken Pṛṣadhra’s offense very lightly, but instead Vasiṣṭha cursed him to become a śūdra. It is the duty of a family priest not to curse a disciple but to give him relief through the performance of some sort of atonement. Vasiṣṭha, however, did just the opposite. Therefore Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that he was durmati; in other words, his intelligence was not very good.
FAQs
This verse states that social designation is not merely by birth-name; a person becomes “kṣatriya” or “śūdra” in qualification through karma (conduct), and wrongdoing can lead to loss of kṣatriya status.
Because an offense had been committed; even if it was unintentional (akāmataḥ), the act was still considered culpable, and the priest pronounced a curse reflecting the moral consequence.
Intent matters, but responsibility for one’s actions remains; integrity and self-discipline protect one’s dignity, while careless mistakes can bring lasting consequences.