Text 9] The Dynasties of the Sons of Manu 37

killed by him; babhrum—the cow; vyustayam nisi—when the night had
passed (in the morning); duhkhitah—became very much unhappy.

TRANSLATION

In the morning, when Prsadhra, who was quite able to subdue
his enemy, saw that he had killed the cow although at night he
thought he had killed the tiger, he was very unhappy.

TEXT 9
q wa For: BATTTRAT: |
a qateg: WR BATT AfTaTAT II 2

tam sasapa kulacaryah
krtagasam akamatah

na ksatra-bandhuh Siidras tvam
karmanaé bhavitamunad

tam—him (Prsadhra); sasapa—cursed; kula-dedryah—the family
priest, Vasistha; krta-Ggasam—because of committing the great sin of
killing a cow; aka@matah—although he did not want to do it; na—not;
ksatra-bandhuh—the family member of a ksatriya; sidrah tuam—you
have behaved like a siidra; karmana—therefore by your fruitive reac-
tion; bhavita—you shall become a Stidra; amund—because of killing the
cow.

TRANSLATION

Although Prsadhra had committed the sin unknowingly, his
family priest, Vasistha, cursed him, saying, ‘‘In your next life you
shall not be able to become a ksatriya. Instead, you shall take birth
as a Sidra because of killing the cow.”

PURPORT

It appears that Vasistha was not free from tamo-guna, the mode of ig-
norance. As the family priest or spiritual master of Prsadhra, Vasistha
should have taken Prsadhra’s offense very lightly, but instead Vasistha
cursed him to become a Sidra. It is the duty of a family priest not to
