Shloka 48
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
वचोभिः परुषैर्वृत्तैः पीडितस्ताडितो द्विजः । यमुद्दिश्य त्यजेत्प्राणांस्तमाहुर्ब्रह्मघातिनम्
vacobhiḥ paruṣairvṛttaiḥ pīḍitastāḍito dvijaḥ | yamuddiśya tyajetprāṇāṃstamāhurbrahmaghātinam
もしドヴィジャが、荒い言葉と残酷な振る舞いによって苦しめられ打たれ、ある者を念じて命を捨てるなら、その者はブラフマ・ハンター、すなわちブラーフマナ殺しと呼ばれる。
Not specified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).
Concept: Harsh speech and cruelty that drive a brāhmaṇa to death are morally equivalent to brahmin-slaying; intention and causal agency matter in sin.
Application: Practice vāṅ-niyama (restraint of speech), avoid humiliation and coercion, and repair harm quickly through apology, support, and dharmic counsel—especially toward vulnerable or spiritually dedicated persons.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned brāhmaṇa sits on a simple kuśa mat, shoulders bowed, as unseen verbal blows manifest as dark, jagged glyphs striking the air around him. In the background, the instigator stands in shadow, a faint red thread of intention linking his heart to the brāhmaṇa’s fading breath, while dharma’s scales hover above, tilting toward grave sin.","primary_figures":["Brāhmaṇa ascetic","Shadowed aggressor (householder/official)","Personified Dharma (subtle, symbolic)"],"setting":"A village threshold near a small sacrificial courtyard; scattered palm-leaf manuscripts, a water pot, and a smoldering āhavanīya ember indicate sacred life disrupted.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["ash white","smoky charcoal","deep maroon","antique gold","pale sandalwood"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a sorrowful brāhmaṇa seated on kuśa with sacred thread and manuscript, surrounded by stylized sharp Sanskrit letterforms representing harsh speech; a shadowed figure behind with accusatory posture; personified Dharma above holding scales; heavy gold leaf haloing Dharma and the brāhmaṇa’s head, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments on Dharma, traditional South Indian iconography, ornate border with lotus and conch motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate courtyard scene with delicate brushwork; the brāhmaṇa’s downcast eyes and trembling hands rendered with lyrical realism; harsh words visualized as thin black calligraphic strokes in the air; cool muted palette with a distant tree and low hills; refined facial features, soft gradients, minimal gold accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines; the brāhmaṇa in pale ochre with clear sacred thread, the aggressor in darker tones; Dharma as a radiant figure above with stylized eyes and symmetrical composition; natural pigments with dominant reds/yellows/greens; temple-wall aesthetic with lotus border and conch-chakra emblems.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central motif of a distressed brāhmaṇa beneath a stylized lotus canopy; surrounding floral borders and repeated tulasi-leaf patterns as a moral counterpoint; peacocks at the edges; deep indigo background with gold highlights; symbolic scales of Dharma above, intricate textile-like detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant conch shell","hushed crowd murmur","brief silence after the key phrase","soft drum pulse"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: परुषैर्वृत्तैः → परुषैः + वृत्तैः; पीडितस्ताडितो → पीडितः + ताडितः; यमुद्दिश्य → यम् + उद्दिश्य; त्यजेत्प्राणान् → त्यजेत् + प्राणान्; तमाहुः → तम् + आहुः; आहुः (लिट्) ‘they have said/they call’
FAQs
It warns that cruel speech and abusive conduct can incur grave moral guilt—so severe that driving a brāhmaṇa to death is treated as brahma-hatyā (the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa).
Yes. By pairing “harsh words” with “cruel conduct” and linking them to a fatal outcome, it frames speech-based harm as ethically weighty, not merely social misconduct.
It implies intention or target: if the afflicted brāhmaṇa dies specifically ‘because of’ or ‘directing blame toward’ a particular person, that person is held responsible for brahma-ghāta (brāhmaṇa-slaying).