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
અતએવ બ્રાહ્મણવધનો પાપ પ્રાપ્ત કરીને તે પિતૃઓ સાથે નરકમાં દહે છે. પ્રાયોપવેશ કરનાર બ્રાહ્મણને વિદ્વાન નિશ્ચયે સન્માન આપે.
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.