Shloka 195
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
य इदं शृणुयाद्वापि परं पुण्यतमं महत् । सप्तजन्मकृतात्पापान्मुच्यते तत्क्षणेन हि
ya idaṃ śṛṇuyādvāpi paraṃ puṇyatamaṃ mahat | saptajanmakṛtātpāpānmucyate tatkṣaṇena hi
Whoever even listens to this supreme, most holy and great teaching is, in that very instant, freed from sins amassed over seven lifetimes.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context-dependent narration in Adhyaya 48)
Concept: Even mere listening to the supreme sacred teaching annihilates deep karmic residue (seven births) instantly.
Application: When overwhelmed by guilt or inertia, begin with śravaṇa: attend a discourse, listen to a chapter, or recite along—treat it as a reset of inner orientation.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A single listener sits with folded hands as the kathā begins; behind him appear faint shadow-forms representing ‘seven births’—warrior, merchant, ascetic, child—each shedding dark veils. At the instant the sacred words strike the ear, a bright stream of light washes through, and the shadows dissolve into lotus petals.","primary_figures":["devotee listener","kathā-vācaka (sage/ācārya)","symbolic silhouettes of past births"],"setting":"Quiet courtyard near a small Viṣṇu shrine, with a manuscript stand and a tulasi pot in the periphery (symbolic, not textual).","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["radiant white","sapphire blue","smoky charcoal","lotus pink","antique gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central devotee receiving kathā from a seated ācārya, seven translucent past-life silhouettes arranged in a halo-like arc dissolving into lotus petals, intense gold leaf radiance emanating from sacred syllables, rich maroon and emerald drapery, ornate shrine backdrop with traditional iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical courtyard scene with cool blues and soft gold, delicate silhouettes of past births fading like mist, fine facial expressions of wonder and relief, subtle floral motifs and a distant shrine, gentle gradient sky suggesting ‘instant’ transformation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines—listener and teacher in frontal clarity, past-life forms as stylized ghosted figures, a white-blue cleansing stream cutting through, temple-wall palette of reds/yellows/greens with a strong central axis.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: sacred sound visualized as lotus garlands flowing from the speaker to the listener, ornate borders with repeating lotus and conch motifs, deep blue ground with gold highlights, symbolic past-life figures rendered as decorative medallions dissolving into floral patterns."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft mridang pulse","temple bells (single strikes)","conch shell (opening)","hushed audience breathing"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शृणुयाद्वापि = शृणुयात् + वा + अपि; सप्तजन्मकृतात्पापान् = सप्तजन्मकृतात् + पापान्; तत्क्षणेन = तत् + क्षणेन.
FAQs
It praises śravaṇa—devout listening to the sacred account/teaching—as a powerful means of merit and purification.
It implies that karmic residue can span multiple lifetimes, and that contact with sacred narration (especially with faith) is said to have strong purificatory power.
It encourages sustained engagement with dharmic teachings—listening with reverence—by emphasizing that spiritual effort and receptivity can quickly transform one’s moral and karmic condition.