Shloka 37
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
न विषं विषमित्याहुर्ब्रह्मस्वं विषमुच्यते । विषमेकाकिनं हंति ब्रह्मस्वं पुत्रपौत्रकम्
na viṣaṃ viṣamityāhurbrahmasvaṃ viṣamucyate | viṣamekākinaṃ haṃti brahmasvaṃ putrapautrakam
Man sagt, Gift sei nicht das wahre „Gift“; als „Gift“ gilt der Besitz eines Brāhmaṇa, wenn er unrechtmäßig genommen wird. Gift tötet nur einen Einzelnen, doch die Veruntreuung des Reichtums eines Brāhmaṇa vernichtet einen samt Söhnen und Enkeln.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Adhyaya 48; exact dialogue speaker not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: True ‘poison’ is not a substance but sacrilegious appropriation of brahmasva; its harm multiplies through progeny.
Application: Reframe ‘danger’ as ethical: fear moral toxins more than physical ones; practice careful stewardship of donations and institutional resources; cultivate humility toward teachers and sacred learning.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A striking symbolic composition: on one side, a small vial of literal poison sits harmlessly; on the other, a gleaming chest marked ‘brahmasva’ emits dark fumes that spread into a family tree whose branches wither. Above, a calm Viṣṇu presence (only symbols—śaṅkha, cakra, padma) indicates that cosmic order witnesses the breach.","primary_figures":["Symbolic poison vial","Chest of brahmasva (personified as poison)","A family tree with sons and grandsons (symbolic)","Viṣṇu emblems (śaṅkha-cakra-padma)"],"setting":"An allegorical moral mandala—half still-life, half cosmic diagram—set against a temple-like backdrop with faint lotus motifs.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp gold","inky black","lotus pink","peacock blue","bronze brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central mandala with two contrasted objects—tiny poison vial and ornate brahmasva chest—gold leaf highlighting the chest’s deceptive allure; blackened fumes rendered with textured embossing; family tree motif in the background with withering leaves; Viṣṇu emblems in the top register with radiant gold halos, rich red-green borders and gem-like ornamentation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant symbolic still-life with refined detailing; the poison vial small and understated, the brahmasva chest ornate; a delicate family tree drawn like a genealogical scroll, leaves fading from green to gray; cool blues and soft pinks with restrained gold, lyrical clarity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and flat colors; large stylized chest with dark curling fumes; family tree in banded registers showing sons and grandsons; Viṣṇu emblems above with bright yellow-red highlights; temple-wall symmetry and decorative lotus borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical moral diagram framed by lotus and tulasi garlands; central ornate chest with gold accents, dark fumes stylized as floral-vine patterns turning black; family tree branches integrated into border design; deep blue ground, intricate floral filigree, Nathdwara-inspired ornamentation with a didactic centerpiece."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["single bell toll","low tanpura drone","soft conch echo","measured silence after the metaphor"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विषमिति = विषम् + इति; आहुः = आहुः (आहुर् before consonant); ब्रह्मस्वं = ब्रह्म + स्वम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); विषमेकाकिनम् = विषम् + एकाकिनम्; पुत्रपौत्रकम् treated as द्वन्द्व (putra+pautraka) in neuter collective.
FAQs
It warns that misappropriating a Brahmin’s property (brahmasva) is considered more destructive than physical poison, with consequences extending to one’s descendants.
Poison harms an individual body, but the text frames wrongful taking of brahmasva as a grave adharma whose karmic and social-spiritual consequences can ruin an entire family line.
No. This shloka is primarily a dharma-ethical admonition about theft and misuse of protected religious property, rather than a description of sacred geography or devotional practice.