Shloka 19
The Greatness of the Viṣṇu-pañcaka
Five-Day Kārttika Observance
शरणागतहंता च पाखंडजनसंगभाक् । गोमांसाशी सुरापश्च परनिंदाकरः सदा
śaraṇāgatahaṃtā ca pākhaṃḍajanasaṃgabhāk | gomāṃsāśī surāpaśca paraniṃdākaraḥ sadā
જે શરણાગતનો વધ કરે છે, પાખંડી લોકોની સંગત રાખે છે, ગોમાસ ભક્ષે છે, સૂરા પીએ છે અને સદા પરનિંદા કરે છે—
Unspecified (context needed from surrounding verses in Brahma-khaṇḍa 23)
Concept: Violating refuge (śaraṇāgata), embracing pāṣaṇḍa company, and indulging in taboo consumption and slander represent a collapse of compassion, orthopraxy, and truthful speech.
Application: Protect the vulnerable; avoid habitual slander; choose communities that elevate virtue; cultivate compassion as the first expression of devotion.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A tense tableau: a terrified refugee reaches toward an ascetic for protection while Daṇḍakara looms with weapon raised, the scene framed by ominous crows and a darkened sacrificial ground. Nearby, a shadowy gathering of heretics and a crude drinking scene symbolize the company and habits that deepen adharma.","primary_figures":["Daṇḍakara","refuge-seeker (śaraṇāgata)","ascetic witness","shadowy companions (pāṣaṇḍa-saṅga)"],"setting":"Edge of a village near a neglected shrine and a barren grove; symbolic vignettes of slander and intoxication in the background.","lighting_mood":"dramatic","color_palette":["storm blue","soot black","rust red","saffron dim","pale bone"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic moral scene with strong central action—refuge-seeker at the feet of an ascetic, bandit poised to strike; gold leaf used to highlight the ascetic’s aura and the faint icon of Viṣṇu in the background; rich reds and deep blues, ornate border with protective motifs (conch, discus) subtly asserting dharma’s presence.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: crisp narrative clarity—figures arranged diagonally to heighten tension; delicate trees and birds, cool shadows; expressive faces showing fear and cruelty; small background groups depict slander and drinking as secondary mini-scenes within the same frame.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, heightened eyes; refuge-seeker rendered with pleading gesture, ascetic calm, Daṇḍakara fierce; strong red/yellow/green palette with dark blue background; decorative border with stylized flames and vine patterns to convey moral peril.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition—dark indigo ground with a border of thorny vines; central refuge scene; at the top, faint golden conch and chakra motifs suggest Viṣṇu’s unseen guardianship; peacocks replaced by crows to intensify ominous mood; intricate patterning throughout."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["thunder","urgent drum","cries in distance","sudden conch blast to punctuate śaraṇāgata-himsa"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सुरापश्च = सुरापः + च; परनिंदाकरः = पर + निन्दा + करः (समास); पाखंडजनसंगभाक् = पाखण्ड + जन + सङ्ग + भाक् (समास).
FAQs
The verse lists grave unethical acts: harming those who seek protection, associating with pākhaṇḍas (those following deceptive/anti-dharmic doctrines), eating cow-flesh, drinking intoxicants, and habitual slander.
It teaches that cruelty toward the vulnerable, corrupt company, and self-degrading habits (intoxication, slander) collectively mark a serious moral fall and are to be avoided by a dharmic person.
This single verse does not identify the speaker; the speaker can be determined reliably only by checking the surrounding dialogue in Brahma-khaṇḍa, Adhyaya 23.