Shloka 37
व्याधितं दुर्बलं बालं स्त्र्यनाथौ कृपणं ध्रुवम् । धनुर्भग्नं छिन्नगुणं हत्वा वै ब्रह्महा भवेत्
vyādhitaṃ durbalaṃ bālaṃ stryanāthau kṛpaṇaṃ dhruvam | dhanurbhagnaṃ chinnaguṇaṃ hatvā vai brahmahā bhavet
Whoever slays one who is ill, weak, a child, or destitute—indeed, one without protection (such as a woman without support or an orphan)—or one whose bow is broken and whose bowstring is cut, truly becomes a brahma-han, a “slayer of a brāhmaṇa,” and incurs the gravest sin.
Narratorial/śāstric voice (didactic statement within the Purāṇic discourse; specific speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Significance: Ethical restraint (ahiṃsā toward the helpless) is framed as a prerequisite for purity; without it, even ritual merit is obstructed by mahāpātaka-like demerit.
FAQs
In Purāṇic and Dharmaśāstra moral reasoning, brahmahatyā functions as a paradigmatic ‘mahāpātaka’ (great sin). By invoking brahmahā here, the text stresses the extreme spiritual gravity of harming those who are vulnerable or incapable of defense, framing such violence as a profound violation of dharma and compassion rather than merely a social offense.