Shloka 44
The Deeds of Cyavana
in the Context of Guru-tirtha Glorification
वृत्तिच्छेदं च विप्राणां गोप्रचारप्रणाशनम् । आगारदहनं चान्यद्गृहदीपनकं तथा
vṛtticchedaṃ ca viprāṇāṃ gopracārapraṇāśanam | āgāradahanaṃ cānyadgṛhadīpanakaṃ tathā
Den Lebensunterhalt der Brāhmaṇas abschneiden, Weidegang und Zug der Rinder vernichten, Häuser in Brand setzen, und ebenso andere Taten wie das Anzünden von Wohnstätten—
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses of Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 90).
Concept: Attacking the livelihood of brāhmaṇas, obstructing cattle, and arson are mahāpāpas because they destroy sustenance, sacred learning, and domestic safety.
Application: Support ethical livelihoods, protect animals, avoid economic sabotage, and cultivate non-violence in speech and action; practice dāna and service as counter-karmas.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark moral tableau: a peaceful village edge with a brāhmaṇa’s hut, cows moving along a grazing path, and the sacred domestic fire glowing—then a dark figure’s act of obstruction and arson casts red smoke across the scene. Above, devas watch with stern faces, as if recording karma on a luminous scroll.","primary_figures":["Brāhmaṇa householder","Cows and calves","A shadowy wrongdoer (symbolic)","Witnessing devas (symbolic)"],"setting":"Earthly village/āśrama boundary with grazing track, thatched dwellings, and a small yajña-śālā","lighting_mood":"twilight with harsh firelight contrast","color_palette":["burnt sienna","ash gray","deep maroon","dull gold","night blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a dharmic village scene with a brāhmaṇa near a small yajña-altar, cows on a grazing path, and a dramatic arson flare at one dwelling; gold leaf used for sacred fire and halos of witnessing devas in the sky; rich reds and greens, ornate jewelry on divine figures, detailed architectural borders and floral motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical rural landscape with delicate trees and a winding cattle path; a sudden tongue of flame from a hut rendered with fine orange washes; brāhmaṇa and cows in gentle, expressive poses; cool dusk palette with precise linework and emotional restraint.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized cows and brāhmaṇa figure, a large red-orange flame motif, and devas above in symmetrical arrangement; strong red/yellow/green blocks, temple-wall aesthetic, patterned borders emphasizing the gravity of adharma.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: cows and calves central with ornate floral borders; the grazing path depicted as a decorative band; a symbolic flame motif at one side as a warning; deep blue ground with gold highlights, peacocks and lotuses framing the moral lesson, devotional yet admonitory tone."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crackling fire (subtle)","distant cow bells","wind through trees","single conch accent at cadence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वृत्तिच्छेदं = वृत्ति + छेदम् (internal sandhi). चान्यद्गृहदीपनकं = च + अन्यत् + गृहदीपनकम् (t + g → dg in sandhi).
FAQs
It lists social and economic harms: depriving brāhmaṇas of livelihood, damaging cattle-grazing/movement, and arson-like acts such as burning houses/dwellings.
Cattle sustain agrarian life through milk and farming support; harming their grazing or movement undermines community welfare, so it is treated as a serious societal offense.
The verse condemns actions that destabilize society—economic sabotage, harm to shared resources, and violence against homes—implying a dharmic duty to protect livelihoods, animals, and habitation.