Shloka 18

Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow

Go-Māhātmya

Devanagari script

तिर्यग्योनिशतं गत्वा चांडाल्यमुपगच्छति । पादमुद्यम्य यो विप्रं हंति गां पितरौ गुरुम्

Transliteration

tiryagyoniśataṃ gatvā cāṃḍālyamupagacchati | pādamudyamya yo vipraṃ haṃti gāṃ pitarau gurum

Translation

Celui qui, levant le pied, frappe un brāhmaṇa—ou tue une vache, ou ses parents, ou son maître—après avoir traversé des centaines de naissances dans des matrices animales, tombe dans l’état de caṇḍāla, l’exclu.

Word by Word

• tiryak-yoni-śatam: a hundred animal births
• tiryak-yoni-śatam: Karma (कर्म/extent traversed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tiryak (प्रातिपदिक) + yoni (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘तिर्यग्योनिनां शतम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• gatvā: having gone through
• gatvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √gam (गम्) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया—‘having gone/passed through’

• cāṃḍālyam: the state of being a caṇḍāla
• cāṃḍālyam: Karma (कर्म/attained state)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāṃḍālya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अवस्थावाचक

• upagacchati: attains/goes to
• upagacchati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa√gam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• pādam: foot
• pādam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• udyamya: having lifted/raised
• udyamya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ud√yam (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक—‘having raised’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vipram: a brāhmaṇa
• vipram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• haṃti: strikes/kills
• haṃti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (हन्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• gām: a cow
• gām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (गो) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• pitarau: (his) parents
• pitarau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (पितृ) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्विवचन (dual), द्वितीया (2nd); ‘मातरापितरौ’ अर्थे प्रायः, अत्र ‘पितरौ’ = parents (dual)

• gurum: teacher
• gurum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyaya 48 for exact speaker attribution).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: tiryagyoniśatam = tiryak-yoni-śatam; cāṃḍālyamupagacchati = cāṃḍālyam + upagacchati; pādamudyamya = pādam + udyamya.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Gau (Cow)
• Pitarau (Parents)
• Guru (Teacher)

FAQs

What is the core ethical teaching of this verse?

It condemns grave violence and disrespect toward key dharmic pillars—brāhmaṇas, cows, parents, and one’s guru—stating such acts lead to severe karmic downfall.

What does “tiryagyoniśataṁ” imply in karmic terms?

It indicates prolonged suffering through many non-human rebirths, emphasizing the long-term consequences of serious wrongdoing.

Why are the cow, parents, and guru singled out along with the brāhmaṇa?

They represent foundational supports of dharma: the cow as a symbol of sustenance and non-violence, parents as sources of life and duty, and the guru as the source of learning and spiritual discipline.