Shloka 39
Merit of Causeways and Crossings, Temple Construction Rewards, and the Rudrākṣa Mahātmya
तस्माद्गवां प्रचारं तु मुक्त्वा स्वर्गान्न हीयते । यश्छिनत्ति द्रुमं पुण्यं गोप्रचारं छिनत्यपि
tasmādgavāṃ pracāraṃ tu muktvā svargānna hīyate | yaśchinatti drumaṃ puṇyaṃ gopracāraṃ chinatyapi
Darum fällt man nicht vom Himmel ab, wenn man die Weide der Kühe freigibt und nicht behindert. Wer jedoch einen heiligen Baum fällt, der schneidet damit auch die Weide der Kühe ab.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Padma Purana, Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa)
Concept: Non-obstruction is also virtue: preserving pasture preserves one’s heavenly trajectory; ecological harm (tree-cutting) indirectly harms cows and thus dharma.
Application: Avoid actions that indirectly harm dependents; protect trees, commons, and grazing corridors; treat environmental stewardship as religious duty.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sacred grove stands at the edge of a pasture, its banyan and neem casting cool shade where cows rest. A woodcutter raises an axe toward a ‘dharma tree,’ but the scene freezes as if time itself warns him—roots glow faintly, revealing that cutting the tree severs the pasture’s life.","primary_figures":["cows","calves","woodcutter","a subtle dharma-deity presence (symbolic)"],"setting":"sacred grove bordering open grazing land, tree shrine with vermilion marks, hanging bells, earthen path","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["forest green","vermillion","bronze","cream","indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic moment of a woodcutter halted before striking a sacred tree marked with vermilion, cows resting under shade, gold leaf used to outline the glowing roots and aura of the dharma tree, rich reds/greens, ornate border with floral creepers and small cow motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: serene grove and pasture with delicate foliage detailing, the axe raised but softened by lyrical composition, cool greens and indigo shadows, refined animal forms, a faint luminous wash around the sacred tree indicating sanctity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic sacred tree with bold outlines and patterned leaves, cows in stylized poses, the woodcutter rendered with strong gesture, symbolic radiance around the trunk in yellow-white pigments, temple-wall symmetry and decorative borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: grove and pasture filled with repeating cow patterns, lotus and creeper borders, the sacred tree central like a shrine, deep blue background with gold highlights, peacocks perched on branches, intricate textile ornamentation emphasizing sanctity of nature."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["wind in leaves","cowbells","distant woodpecker","brief silence at the warning moment"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्माद्गवाम् = तस्मात् गवाम्; स्वर्गान्न = स्वर्गात् न; यश्छिनत्ति = यः छिनत्ति; गोप्रचारम् = गो-प्रचारम्; छिनत्यपि = छिनत्ति अपि.
FAQs
It links dharma with practical stewardship: harming trees and pastureland is treated as harming cows’ livelihood, so one should protect both grazing grounds and sacred trees.
Because trees support grazing ecosystems (shade, soil stability, fodder), cutting them is portrayed as indirectly destroying the resources that sustain cattle.
Yes—go-rakṣā/go-sevā (protection and care of cows) and respect for puṇya-druma (sacred/beneficial trees) as moral duties with spiritual consequences.