Shloka 134
The Marks of Merit and the Destinies of Beings
Divine vs Demonic Traits
विश्वासघातिनो ये च कृतघ्ना व्रतलोपिनः । द्विजदेवेषु विद्विष्टाः शातयंति धरां नराः
viśvāsaghātino ye ca kṛtaghnā vratalopinaḥ | dvijadeveṣu vidviṣṭāḥ śātayaṃti dharāṃ narāḥ
Jene Menschen, die Vertrauen verraten, undankbar sind, ihre Gelübde brechen und den Brāhmaṇas sowie den Devas feindlich gesinnt sind—sie stürzen die Erde ins Verderben.
Unspecified (context-dependent narrator/speaker within Adhyaya 76)
Concept: Social and cosmic ruin follows from trust-betrayal, ingratitude, breaking vows, and hostility toward brāhmaṇas and devas.
Application: Keep promises; practice gratitude; take vows only when you can uphold them; avoid contempt for sacred persons and institutions; repair breaches through confession, restitution, and renewed discipline.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A darkened landscape shows the earth cracked and withering as shadowy figures embody betrayal and vow-breaking—one snaps a sacred thread of promise, another turns away from a benefactor. In the distance, devas and brāhmaṇas appear as luminous silhouettes, while the offenders’ hostility sends ripples of ruin across the ground.","primary_figures":["shadowy men symbolizing viśvāsa-ghāta (betrayal)","a figure of Gratitude turned away (allegorical)","luminous brāhmaṇas and devas (distant, radiant)","Bhū-devī (optional, distressed)"],"setting":"allegorical moral landscape with cracked earth, broken vow-symbols, and distant temple spires","lighting_mood":"storm-lit","color_palette":["charcoal black","rust brown","ashen white","dull crimson","pale gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: allegorical scene with Bhū-devī distressed, cracked earth rendered with ornate patterning, offenders in darker tones, devas/brāhmaṇas in gold leaf radiance at the horizon, heavy gold border emphasizing moral contrast, rich reds and blacks with gem-like highlights on divine figures.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: dramatic moral tableau with subtle shading, cracked ground and withered trees, expressive faces showing guilt and hostility, cool gray clouds, restrained palette with a thin band of golden light around distant righteous figures.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figures representing betrayal and vow-breaking, stylized cracked earth motifs, intense reds/yellows/greens muted into darker tones, devas/brāhmaṇas as bright iconic forms, temple-wall narrative clarity and moral symbolism.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition with a central cracked-earth mandala, border of withered lotuses, dark figures breaking vow-threads, distant luminous divine band in gold, intricate floral borders turned thorny, deep indigo-black ground with gold accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["distant thunder","sharp temple bell strikes","low ominous drone","brief silence after the warning"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: द्विजदेवेषु = द्विजदेवेषु (द्वन्द्वसमास); शातयंति (पाठभेद) = शातयन्ति; पद्ये ‘विश्वासघातिनो’ इति पाठः = विश्वासघातिनः (प्रथमा बहुवचन)
FAQs
It warns that betraying trust, showing ingratitude, breaking vows, and hating sacred social and divine principles (Brahmins and the gods) leads to collective harm—symbolized as the ruin of the earth.
Dvija literally means “twice-born,” commonly referring to Brahmins (and, in broader dharma literature, the three higher varṇas after initiation). Here it functions as a marker of religious and ethical authority within the dharmic order.
It frames dharma as social and spiritual responsibility: personal moral failures (betrayal, ingratitude, vow-breaking) are portrayed as destabilizing forces that damage society and the world (dharā).