Shloka 2
Karmas Leading to Hell and Heaven
Ethical Catalog of Destinies
जैमिनिरुवाच । ब्राह्मण्यं पुण्यमुत्सृज्य ये द्विजा लोभमोहिताः । कुकर्माण्युपजीवंति ते वै निरयगामिनः
jaiminiruvāca | brāhmaṇyaṃ puṇyamutsṛjya ye dvijā lobhamohitāḥ | kukarmāṇyupajīvaṃti te vai nirayagāminaḥ
Jaimini sprach: Die Zweimalgeborenen, die, von Gier verblendet, die verdienstvollen Pflichten des Brahmanentums aufgeben und ihren Lebensunterhalt durch böse Taten bestreiten—sie gehen wahrlich zur Hölle.
Jaimini
Concept: Abandoning one’s ordained meritorious duties out of greed and living by harmful means leads to a degraded post-mortem destination.
Application: Earn livelihood ethically; for those in teaching/priestly roles, keep integrity—study, charity, and guidance without exploitation.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Sage Jaimini speaks with stern clarity, his raised hand marking a boundary of dharma. In the background, a symbolic tableau shows a ‘dvija’ turning away from Vedic study and charity toward a shadowy marketplace of deceit—his path darkening as he walks, while a faint celestial gate closes in the distance.","primary_figures":["Jaimini","Fallen dvija (allegorical figure)"],"setting":"Hermitage foreground with manuscript stand; background dissolves into an allegorical city-market scene representing unethical livelihood.","lighting_mood":"dramatic","color_palette":["deep maroon","ash gray","antique gold","indigo blue","burnt umber"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Jaimini with gold halo delivering admonition, right hand in teaching mudrā; behind, a split-panel allegory—left: dvija performing svādhyāya and dana with gold-leaf radiance; right: the same figure amid dark traders and hidden knives, gold leaf used to contrast dharma vs adharma, rich reds/greens, ornate borders and gem-like highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined sage seated under a tree, speaking; a small narrative vignette in the corner shows a brahmana tempted by coins, turning from a yajna fire; cool palette with subtle moral contrast, delicate facial expressions, rolling hills and a distant temple spire.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines—Jaimini’s stern gaze, stylized coins and smoke motifs around the greedy dvija; patterned background bands indicating ‘punya’ (lotus motifs) versus ‘kukarma’ (thorn motifs), warm reds and yellows with green accents.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: moral didactic scene framed by lotus and creeper borders; central sage with manuscript, side panels showing ‘punya’ as lamps and lotuses and ‘kukarma’ as withered garlands; deep blue ground, intricate gold linework, peacocks subdued to keep the admonitory tone."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drum","conch shell (soft)","crackling fire","brief silence after key words"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: जैमिनिरुवाच = जैमिनिः + उवाच; पुण्यमुत्सृज्य = पुण्यम् + उत्सृज्य; कुकर्माण्युपजीवंति = कुकर्माणि + उपजीवन्ति.
FAQs
It warns that dvijas who abandon the virtuous obligations of brahmin conduct and instead earn their livelihood through wrongful deeds, driven by greed, incur grave karmic consequences leading to niraya (hell).
In this context it points primarily to conduct and duty (ācāra and dharma) associated with brahminhood—virtuous living—rather than mere birth-status.
The verse emphasizes that the means of livelihood matters ethically: sustaining oneself through kukarma (harmful, unrighteous acts) is spiritually ruinous, regardless of social or ritual status.