Shloka 102
ये संति केचिद्धि वसुंधरायां तपस्विनो धर्मविदश्च तज्ज्ञाः । तेषां वधश्चक्रियतां हि क्षिप्रं तेषु प्रणष्टेषु जगद्विनष्टम्
ye saṃti keciddhi vasuṃdharāyāṃ tapasvino dharmavidaśca tajjñāḥ | teṣāṃ vadhaścakriyatāṃ hi kṣipraṃ teṣu praṇaṣṭeṣu jagadvinaṣṭam
ഈ ഭൂമിയിലുള്ള തപസ്വികളെയും ധർമ്മം അറിയുന്നവരെയും വേഗത്തിൽ വധിക്കുവിൻ; അവർ നശിച്ചാൽ ഈ ലോകം തന്നെ നശിക്കും.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses in Adhyaya 19).
Concept: The survival of the world is intertwined with the survival of dharma-knowers and disciplined ascetics; societal collapse follows spiritual violence.
Application: Honor teachers, elders, and ethical exemplars; protect institutions of learning and practice; recognize that harming the virtuous harms the whole community.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On the wide earth, serene ascetics sit in meditation beside a small sacrificial fire, while a looming shadow of violence approaches from the horizon. The landscape itself seems to hold its breath, as if the fate of the world hangs on the safety of these quiet dharma-knowers.","primary_figures":["Tapasvins","Dharma-vids (sages/teachers)","Approaching attackers (silhouetted)"],"setting":"Forest āśrama on earth with kusa grass seats, yajña-kuṇḍa, deer and birds nearby, distant dark figures advancing","lighting_mood":"forest dappled with a threatened twilight","color_palette":["leaf green","earth brown","saffron flame","twilight blue","smoke gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central sages with calm faces and sacred threads, a bright gold-leaf yajña flame, ornate trees and animals, distant dark attackers at the border, rich reds/greens with gold embellishment emphasizing the sanctity under threat.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical forest hermitage with delicate foliage, sages in white/ochre robes, soft twilight gradients, distant ominous silhouettes, refined facial features and gentle naturalism heightening the pathos.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of seated rishis, stylized yajña fire, approaching figures rendered in darker pigments, strong red/yellow/green palette with a deep blue background band suggesting impending danger.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: pastoral sacred grove with floral borders, central flame motif and seated sages, peacocks and deer, outer ring showing dark approaching forms, deep blues and gold with saffron highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["forest birds","soft crackle of fire","distant drumbeat","wind in trees","conch (far away)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: keciddhi -> kecit + hi; tapasvino -> tapasvinaḥ; vadhaścakriyatāṃ -> vadhaḥ + ca + kriyatām; jagadvinaṣṭam -> jagat + vinaṣṭam
FAQs
It asserts that the presence of tapasvins and true knowers of dharma sustains the world, and that their destruction leads to the ruin of the world—highlighting the civilizational role of spiritual and ethical guardians.
As stated, it describes a hostile injunction to kill dharma-knowers; in Purāṇic narratives such lines typically reflect the voice or intention of adharma-aligned figures, used to dramatize the threat to dharma. Confirming the speaker from adjacent verses is necessary to interpret it responsibly.
A society collapses when it persecutes its ethical and spiritually disciplined guides; protecting and honoring genuine practitioners of dharma is portrayed as essential for the world’s stability.