Shloka 36
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
ब्रह्मस्वं प्रणयाद्भुक्तं दहत्यासप्तमं कुलम् । विक्रमेण तु भुंजानो दशपूर्वान्दशापरान्
brahmasvaṃ praṇayādbhuktaṃ dahatyāsaptamaṃ kulam | vikrameṇa tu bhuṃjāno daśapūrvāndaśāparān
مالُ البراهمة إذا أُكِل بدافع مودةٍ في غير موضعها أو محاباةٍ، أحرق السلالة إلى الجيل السابع. أمّا من يأكله قهراً وظلماً فيُهلك عشرة أجيالٍ قبله وعشرةً بعده.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa dialogue context)
Concept: Misappropriating brahmasva harms not only the individual but the lineage; the mode of taking (favoritism vs force) intensifies karmic fallout.
Application: Avoid nepotism and ‘friendly’ misuse of entrusted funds; never coerce or exploit the vulnerable; cultivate clean means (śuddha-ājīvikā) and make amends quickly when boundaries are crossed.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dramatic ancestral vision: behind the offender, a line of forebears and descendants appears as translucent figures, some fading into ember-like ash as a symbolic fire rises from the stolen sacred wealth. Two contrasting panels show ‘pranaya’ (favoritism, soft persuasion) as a smaller flame and ‘vikrama’ (force) as a roaring conflagration consuming a wider ancestral arc.","primary_figures":["The offender (symbolic)","Ancestral line (pitṛs)","Descendants (symbolic)","A personified flame of adharma"],"setting":"A stylized moral cosmos—half household treasury, half sacrificial arena—where sacred wealth is shown near a yajña-kuṇḍa turned ominous.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["ember red","smoke gray","sacrificial gold","midnight blue","ivory white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: diptych composition—left panel ‘pranaya’ with smaller gold-tinged flames, right panel ‘vikrama’ with towering flames; ancestral figures in layered halos, gold leaf used for both sacred glow and punitive fire; rich maroon background, ornate borders, traditional motifs of yajña-kuṇḍa and treasury chest.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined multi-figure lineage silhouettes behind the central offender; flames rendered with delicate gradation, not harsh; subtle narrative contrast between mild and violent taking shown through posture and scale; cool blues with warm ember accents, lyrical yet admonitory.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized flames rising from a chest labeled as sacred trust; rows of ancestors/descendants in profile bands; strong red-yellow-black contrasts, temple-wall symmetry, expressive eyes conveying warning.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central moral emblem—treasury chest near a yajña-kuṇḍa—surrounded by concentric rings of ancestors and descendants; flames as decorative but ominous motifs; lotus border turning from pink to ash-gray to show corruption; deep blue ground with gold highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crackling fire","deep drum pulse","sharp bell strikes","brief hush after the generational counts"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रणयाद्भुक्तम् = प्रणयात् + भुक्तम्; दहत्यासप्तमं = दहति + आ-सप्तमम्; दशपूर्वान्दशापरान् = दश-पूर्वान् + दश-अपरान्.
FAQs
Brahmasva means wealth or property belonging to a brāhmaṇa—especially that which is protected by dharma (e.g., rightful possessions, gifts, endowments). The verse warns against wrongfully enjoying such property.
It grades the wrongdoing: favoritism or improper indulgence causes harm up to seven generations, while forcible seizure/oppressive enjoyment is portrayed as a graver violation with wider karmic fallout—ten generations before and after.
The verse emphasizes restraint and justice in matters of wealth: do not misappropriate protected property, and avoid coercion or abuse of power, since such acts are said to bring severe consequences to one’s lineage.