Shloka 50
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
अतो ब्रह्मवधं प्राप्य पितृभिः सह पच्यते । प्रायोपवेशकं विप्रं बुधः संमानयेद्ध्रुवम्
ato brahmavadhaṃ prāpya pitṛbhiḥ saha pacyate | prāyopaveśakaṃ vipraṃ budhaḥ saṃmānayeddhruvam
Por ello, al incurrir en el pecado de matar a un brāhmaṇa, es atormentado (en el infierno) junto con sus antepasados. El sabio debe honrar sin duda a un brāhmaṇa que ha emprendido el prāyopaveśa, el ayuno hasta la muerte.
Not explicitly identifiable from the single verse (context needed from surrounding verses; likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma instruction passage typical of the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa).
Concept: Brahma-hatyā yields torment affecting one’s pitṛ-line; therefore, honor the brāhmaṇa who undertakes prāyopaveśa, recognizing the gravity and sincerity of such a vow.
Application: Do not mock or obstruct those undertaking severe vows; offer support (water, counsel, protection), and cultivate non-violence in speech/actions to avoid karmic fallout that harms family systems.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A split-scene composition: above, a wise householder bows with folded hands to a frail brāhmaṇa seated in prāyopaveśa, surrounded by a protective circle of kuśa and a small lamp. Below, a shadowy naraka vision shows chains of karma binding a sinner to spectral forefathers, all engulfed in smoky heat—warning what dishonor and cruelty can unleash.","primary_figures":["Brāhmaṇa undertaking prāyopaveśa","Wise supporter (gṛhastha)","Spectral pitṛs (ancestral shades)","Yama’s attendants (subtle, optional)"],"setting":"Upper: quiet hermitage edge with tulasi pot absent but sacred austerity present; Lower: infernal landscape with iron ground and smoke columns.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["lamp-gold","smoke gray","iron black","vermillion","pale ochre"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: two-tier narrative panel—top shows prāyopaveśa brāhmaṇa with serene halo, gold leaf around lamp flame and sacred thread; a devotee kneels offering respectful añjali; bottom shows stylized naraka with dark reds and blacks, pitṛ figures in muted tones, Yama-dūtas with minimal ornament; ornate gold border with lotus motifs emphasizing moral contrast.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle upper scene with delicate austerity—thin figure, calm eyes, sparse hut; lower scene rendered as a dark vignette with smoky washes; refined linework, emotional subtlety, cool-to-warm gradient separating compassion from dread.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and strong color blocks; upper band in warm yellows/greens with lamp-lit calm; lower band in deep reds/blacks with rhythmic flames and stylized attendants; temple-wall symmetry and ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central prāyopaveśa figure framed by floral borders; below, a patterned dark band depicting naraka as stylized flames and chains; deep indigo and gold highlights; intricate motifs, peacocks subdued at corners to keep solemn tone."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["single temple lamp crackle","soft bell at cadence","low drone (tanpura)","distant wind","silence between halves of meaning"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: संमानयेद्ध्रुवम् → संमानयेत् + ध्रुवम् (त् + ध → द्ध)
FAQs
It states that the doer, having incurred brahmavadha, is tortured in a hellish state and that the suffering is portrayed as extending “along with the ancestors,” underscoring the gravity of the offense.
A prāyopaveśaka is a person who has undertaken prāyopaveśa—formally resolving to fast unto death, typically framed in dharma literature as an extreme vow connected with penance, protest, or final renunciation.
The verse advises that a wise person should certainly honor and show respect to a brāhmaṇa who has undertaken prāyopaveśa, presenting reverence toward ascetic resolve and ritual seriousness as a dharmic duty.