Shloka 45
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
स्ववंशान्पातयित्वा तु पुनर्जन्म न विंदते । त्रिवेदं स्नातकं हत्वा वधस्यांतं न विन्दते
svavaṃśānpātayitvā tu punarjanma na viṃdate | trivedaṃ snātakaṃ hatvā vadhasyāṃtaṃ na vindate
أمّا من أسقطَ سلالته وأوردها الهلاك فلا ينال ولادةً أخرى؛ ومن قتلَ سناتكا عارفًا بالڤيدات الثلاث فلا يجد نهايةً لإثم ذلك القتل، إذ لا ينقضي وزره.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses to identify the dialogue pair).
Concept: Destroying one’s lineage and killing a tri-vedic स्नातक are portrayed as near-irreparable moral catastrophes; some sins are described as ‘without end’ in their consequences.
Application: Protect family integrity through ethical conduct; avoid actions that bring collective downfall; support education and spiritual discipline; if harm is done, pursue sincere atonement and service rather than denial.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A poignant vision of a family line represented as a luminous ancestral tree whose branches wither when adharma strikes. Beside it stands a tri-vedic snātaka with sacred thread and water-pot, while a dark fissure opens beneath the aggressor’s feet, suggesting consequences that do not ‘find an end’.","primary_figures":["tri-vedic snātaka brāhmaṇa","personified Kula-devatā as a protective light","a remorseful perpetrator figure","ancestral silhouettes (pitṛs) fading"],"setting":"Ancestral courtyard with a śrāddha altar and a nearby hermitage path; symbolic ‘kula-tree’ rising behind.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["pale silver","midnight blue","sandalwood beige","crimson accent","ashen gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a radiant kula-tree with tiny ancestral medallions in gold leaf, a snātaka brāhmaṇa holding kamaṇḍalu and Veda, and a remorseful figure at the edge of a dark chasm; ornate gold borders, deep red backdrop, stylized flames of karma around the chasm, devotional symbolism over literal violence.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet courtyard with a śrāddha platform, a luminous tree of ancestors, the snātaka in white garments, and a sorrowful figure; delicate brushwork, cool night palette, subtle mist, expressive eyes conveying karuṇā.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic snātaka with bold outlines, kula-tree motif behind with stylized pitṛ faces, a dark underworld fissure below; strong red/yellow/green fields, temple-wall symmetry, solemn gaze and moral warning.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic kula-tree made of lotus vines, pitṛ silhouettes as small medallions, central snātaka figure near a Viṣṇu emblem indicating refuge; intricate floral borders, indigo ground, gold highlights, narrative panels suggesting lineage preservation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["night insects","distant temple bell","soft flowing water","long pauses/silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्ववंशान्पातयित्वा = स्ववंशान् + पातयित्वा; पुनर्जन्म = पुनः + जन्म; वधस्यांतम् = वधस्य + अन्तम्.
FAQs
A snātaka is a person who has completed Vedic study and the ceremonial bath marking graduation; the verse treats harming such a learned person as an extremely grave sin.
The verse stresses the heavy karmic consequences of destructive acts—especially ruining one’s own family line and killing a highly learned, ritually qualified person—implying such actions are among the most serious violations of dharma.
In context, such statements commonly function as hyperbolic or emphatic dharma-language: it underscores extraordinary gravity and enduring consequences, rather than presenting a technical metaphysical denial; precise intent depends on the surrounding passage.