Shloka 42
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
विषमं वा कुतस्तिष्ठेत्तत्त्वतो वक्तुमर्हसि । ब्रह्मोवाच । हत्वा विप्रं ध्रुवं पुत्र पातकं यदुदाहृतम्
viṣamaṃ vā kutastiṣṭhettattvato vaktumarhasi | brahmovāca | hatvā vipraṃ dhruvaṃ putra pātakaṃ yadudāhṛtam
«Entonces, ¿dónde reside en verdad la desigualdad del fruto kármico? Debes explicarlo conforme a la realidad». Brahmā dijo: «Hijo mío, ciertamente se declara pecado matar a un brāhmaṇa».
Brahmā (brahmovāca)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कुतस्तिष्ठेत् = कुतः + तिष्ठेत्; तत्त्वतो = तत्त्वतः (पद-रूप); वक्तुमर्हसि = वक्तुम् + अर्हसि; ब्रह्मोवाच = ब्रह्मा + उवाच; यदुदाहृतम् = यत् + उदाहृतम्
FAQs
It affirms the dharma-śāstric principle that killing a brāhmaṇa (vipra) is a grave and definite sin (pātaka), often discussed under the category of brahmahatyā.
Brahmā is the speaker, explicitly marked by the phrase “brahmovāca” (“Brahmā said”).
By asking where “inequality” in consequences truly lies and then stating a clear moral rule, the passage frames karma and social-religious ethics as governed by an objective dharmic order rather than arbitrary outcomes.