Shloka 29
Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline
अग्निरुवाच पादमुद्यम्य यो मर्त्य: स्पृशेद् गाश्न सुदुर्मति: । ब्राह्मणं वा महाभागं दीप्यमानं तथानलम्
agnir uvāca pādam udyamya yo martyaḥ spṛśed gāśna sudurmatīḥ | brāhmaṇaṃ vā mahābhāgaṃ dīpyamānaṃ tathānalam ||
قال أغني: «إن ذلك الفاني سيّئ الفهم الذي يرفع قدمه ليضرب بقرة—أو يعتدي على برهمن عظيم الحظ، متوهّجًا بإشراق روحي كالنار—يرتكب فظاعة جسيمة. فمثل هذه الأفعال تنتهك أسس الدارما ذاتها، لأنها عنفٌ ضد من يحملون العالم ويقدّسونه.»
धर्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse condemns violence and contempt toward two pillars of dharmic society: the cow (symbol of sustenance and sacrifice) and the brāhmaṇa (symbol of learning, ritual, and spiritual authority). To strike them is portrayed as a grave moral failure rooted in a corrupted mind.
Agni is speaking in a didactic context within the Anuśāsana Parva, warning about the severe wrongdoing involved in raising one’s foot to strike a cow, or in attacking an illustrious brāhmaṇa whose spiritual brilliance is likened to fire.