Shloka 23
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
पादमुद्यच्छते वा यस्तस्य पादे शिलीपदः । खंजो वा मंदजंघो वा खण्डपादो भवेन्नरः
pādamudyacchate vā yastasya pāde śilīpadaḥ | khaṃjo vā maṃdajaṃgho vā khaṇḍapādo bhavennaraḥ
જે કોઈને મારવા પગ ઊંચો કરે છે, તેના પગમાં શ્લીપદ (હાથીપગ) થાય છે. તે મનુષ્ય લંગડો, અથવા નબળી જાંઘવાળો, કે પગથી ખંડિત પણ બને છે.
Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher voice within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa Adhyaya 48)
Concept: Harmful intent expressed through violence rebounds as bodily affliction; restraint (ahiṃsā) protects one’s own integrity.
Application: Interrupt anger before it becomes action; practice non-violent conflict resolution; treat the body as a sacred trust used for worship and service.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A moral tableau: a man lifts his foot in anger to strike, but the moment freezes as a dark karmic shadow coils around the ankle, swelling into elephantiasis. Behind him, an unseen cosmic ledger glows faintly, suggesting that violence returns to the doer as bodily distortion.","primary_figures":["an angry householder","a subtle Yama-dūta silhouette (symbolic)","a faint dharma-śāstra manuscript motif"],"setting":"village threshold or courtyard where a quarrel begins; symbolic cosmic backdrop with faint scales of justice","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro with ominous undertones","color_palette":["smoky indigo","ash gray","rust red","saffron ochre","dull gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a cautionary dharma scene of a man raising his foot to strike at a doorway, the foot encircled by stylized dark karmic coils and swelling, with a small inset of Yama’s court in the background; gold leaf embellishment on the dharma-scroll and ornaments, rich reds and greens, gem-studded borders, traditional South Indian iconographic framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a village courtyard quarrel paused mid-gesture, the raised foot subtly swollen, a translucent karmic aura painted as delicate smoke; cool muted palette, refined faces showing fear and regret, distant hills and a small shrine hinting at dharma’s witness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines of the figure with an emphasized swollen foot, symbolic serpentine karma wrapping the ankle; temple-wall aesthetic with flat fields of red, yellow, and green, stylized eyes, and a small emblem of dharma (scale/scroll) above.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a moral allegory framed by lotus and tulasi borders, central figure halted from violence, with Vishnu’s chakra motif faintly in the sky as a reminder of divine order; deep blues and gold, intricate floral patterns, peacocks at the margins as witnesses."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant conch shell","heavy silence after the warning","soft drum pulse"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पादमुद्यच्छते→पादम् उद्यच्छते; यस्तस्य→यः तस्य; खंजो→खञ्जः; भवेन्नरः→भवेत् नरः.
FAQs
It teaches karmic retribution: intending or attempting to strike (raising the foot to harm) results in bodily affliction, especially to the same limb involved.
“Śilīpada” denotes elephantiasis—an abnormal swelling disease of the leg/foot—used as a vivid consequence for violent intent or action.
Yes. By warning of severe physical consequences for attempting harm, it reinforces restraint and non-violence as practical ethics.