Shloka 178
Merit of Causeways and Crossings, Temple Construction Rewards, and the Rudrākṣa Mahātmya
अर्धकूटं तुलाकूटं सर्वकूटं तथैव च । शिश्नोदरकरेणैव संस्पृशेद्वा गुरुस्त्रियम्
ardhakūṭaṃ tulākūṭaṃ sarvakūṭaṃ tathaiva ca | śiśnodarakareṇaiva saṃspṛśedvā gurustriyam
Ebenso macht man sich schuldig durch halben Betrug, Betrug beim Abwiegen und jede Art von Arglist; und ebenso, wenn ein Lehrer die Frau eines anderen mit seinem Glied, seinem Bauch oder seiner Hand berührt.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses of Adhyaya 59).
Concept: Fraud in trade and sexual misconduct—especially by a guru—are grave adharma that pollute society and spiritual life.
Application: Maintain integrity in measurement and money; uphold strict boundaries and consent; hold spiritual authority to higher accountability; avoid situations that invite scandal.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A marketplace scene shows a merchant secretly tilting a balance scale, while shadowy figures represent ‘kūṭa’ (fraud) hovering like dark smoke. In the background, a fallen teacher reaches toward a veiled woman, while a blazing dharma-wheel motif warns of karmic consequence.","primary_figures":["dishonest merchant","symbolic personifications of pāpa (shadow forms)","a fallen guru figure","a veiled married woman","optional: a stern sage as moral witness"],"setting":"ancient bazaar with weighing scales, grain sacks, and a distant temple spire suggesting sacred oversight","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["smoke-gray","rust red","brass-gold","midnight blue","ashen white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a moral tableau with a central brass balance scale, gold-leaf dharma-chakra above, rich crimson and dark green background, stylized figures of merchant and guru, ornate borders; pāpa shown as dark swirling motifs contrasted with bright gold warnings.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: detailed bazaar vignette with delicate faces, subtle gestures showing the tilted scale, cool shadows, a distant temple and hills, narrative clarity; the guru’s transgression hinted through restrained symbolism and careful composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, intense red/yellow/green palette, exaggerated expressive eyes; the scale and hands emphasized, pāpa as black curling forms; a dharma emblem glowing behind, temple-wall storytelling aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition where the balance scale sits amid lotus borders; dark motifs of deceit creep into the floral frame; a central golden dharma emblem counters the darkness; peacocks turned away to signify moral dissonance, deep indigo and gold accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["market murmur (soft)","sudden silence on key words","low drum pulse","temple bell warning strike"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tathaiva → tathā + eva; śiśnodarakareṇaiva → śiśna + udara + kareṇa + eva; saṃspṛśedvā → saṃspṛśet + vā; gurustriyam → guru + striyam.
FAQs
It condemns commercial dishonesty—especially cheating with weights and measures—and also condemns sexual or improper physical contact by a guru with another man’s wife.
Tulākūṭa refers to deception involving a balance/scale—dishonest weighing, tampered measures, or any manipulation used to cheat in trade.
Because a guru is expected to embody restraint and moral authority; the text treats misconduct by such a person as especially blameworthy due to betrayal of trust and role-model responsibility.