Shloka 11

Cāturāśramya-dharma—Marks of the Four Āśramas (चातुराश्रम्यधर्मः)

Devanagari script

यो विकर्मस्थितो विप्रो न स सम्मानमहति । कर्म स्वं नोपयुञ्जानमविश्वास्यं हि तं विदु:

Transliteration

yo vikarmasthito vipro na sa sammānam arhati | karma svaṃ nopayuñjānam aviśvāsyaṃ hi taṃ viduḥ ||

Translation

因陀罗说道：“安住于邪行（vikarma）的婆罗门，不配受人敬礼。确实，不履行自身所规定之职责者，被视为不可信任。”

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विकर्म-स्थितः: one situated in wrongful action
• विकर्म-स्थितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकर्म-स्थित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विप्रः: a brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्मानम्: honour, respect
• सम्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्मान
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अर्हति: deserves
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कर्म: duty, prescribed action
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• स्वम्: one's own
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• उपयुञ्जानम्: practising, employing (i.e., performing)
• Type: Participle
• Root: उप-युज्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, Active, Present

• अविश्वास्यम्: not to be trusted, untrustworthy
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-विश्वास्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विदुः: they know/consider
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

इन्द्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• vipra (Brahmin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Honor is tied to dharmic conduct: a Brahmin who engages in prohibited actions (vikarma) and neglects his own prescribed duties forfeits social esteem and is deemed unreliable.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic passage of the Śānti Parva, Indra articulates a moral judgment about Brahmin behavior, emphasizing that status and respect depend on adherence to one’s proper duties rather than mere birth or title.