Shloka 4
Karmas Leading to Hell and Heaven
Ethical Catalog of Destinies
ब्राह्मणेभ्यः प्रतिश्रुत्य न प्रयच्छंति ये धनम् । ब्रह्मस्वानां च हर्तारो नरा निरयगामिनः
brāhmaṇebhyaḥ pratiśrutya na prayacchaṃti ye dhanam | brahmasvānāṃ ca hartāro narā nirayagāminaḥ
Wer den Brāhmaṇas Reichtum verspricht und ihn nicht gibt, und wer das Eigentum der Brāhmaṇas stiehlt—solche Menschen sind der Hölle verfallen.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Padma Purāṇa; commonly transmitted in the Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue framework in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa)
Concept: Breaking a pledged gift to brāhmaṇas and stealing brahmin property are severe adharma leading to hell.
Application: Do not promise what you cannot give; treat pledged charity as a vow; avoid misappropriation of religious/community funds; practice transparent giving.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor stands before a group of brāhmaṇas with a solemn pledge, but shadowy hands behind him clutch the promised coins—his face split between outward piety and inner deceit. Nearby, a locked chest marked ‘brahmasva’ is being pried open, while a dark karmic ledger unfurls toward a looming niraya gate.","primary_figures":["Allegorical donor (promise-breaker)","Brāhmaṇas","Shadowy thief figure","Karmic scribe (symbolic)"],"setting":"Temple courtyard or yajna pavilion with donation vessels, sacred thread motifs, and a symbolic ‘ledger of karma’ hovering like a scroll in the air.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp gold","crimson red","ebony black","ivory white","peacock green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: temple courtyard with gold-leaf lamps and ornate pillars; brāhmaṇas seated with palm-leaf texts, donor making a pledge; behind him a dark figure steals from a chest labeled ‘brahmasva’; heavy gold leaf on lamps, halos, and temple jewelry, rich reds/greens, gem-studded donation vessels, moral contrast rendered through luminous vs shadowed zones.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate courtyard scene—soft architecture, delicate faces; the promise moment in the center, a subtle side vignette of theft near a chest; muted yet telling expressions, cool shadows, fine textile patterns, distant riverbank hinted as a place of dana and snana though unnamed.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines—brāhmaṇas with stylized eyes, donor with divided expression; symbolic chest and serpent-like scroll of karma curling toward a dark gate; warm reds and yellows, green accents, temple-wall symmetry and ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate donation scene framed by lotus and floral borders; central lamps and kalashas, side panels showing ‘satya-dana’ as blooming lotuses and ‘pratishruti-bhanga’ as broken garlands; deep blue ground with gold detailing, peacocks subdued, emphasis on vow integrity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","coin clink (subtle)","conch shell (distant)","hushed murmurs of a yajna assembly"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रयच्छंति = प्रयच्छन्ति (अनुस्वार-लेखनभेद); ब्रह्मस्वानां = ब्रह्मस्वानाम् (षष्ठी बहुवचन).
FAQs
It stresses fidelity to one’s promise (satya) and the obligation to fulfill pledged charity (dāna), especially when promised to brāhmaṇas.
Brahmasva refers to property belonging to brāhmaṇas; taking or misappropriating it is treated as a grave transgression in dharma literature.
It states that those who break such pledges or steal brāhmaṇa property become “niraya-gāmin,” i.e., destined for hell as a karmic result.