Shloka 116
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
दुर्बलं पीडयेद्यस्तु तथैव गदसंयुतम् । अतिबालातिवृद्धं च स गोहत्यां समालभेत्
durbalaṃ pīḍayedyastu tathaiva gadasaṃyutam | atibālātivṛddhaṃ ca sa gohatyāṃ samālabhet
ദുർബലനെയും രോഗബാധിതനെയും അതിശയ ബാലനെയും അതിവൃദ്ധനെയും പീഡിപ്പിക്കുന്നവൻ ഗോഹത്യാപാപം ഏറ്റെടുക്കുന്നു।
Unspecified (narratorial/dharmic instruction within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa context)
Concept: Oppressing the weak, sick, very young, or very old is tantamount to the gravest violence; cruelty to the vulnerable equals go-hatyā in moral weight.
Application: Adopt a ‘vulnerable-first’ ethic: never coerce labor from the weak/sick/elderly/children; build safeguards in family, workplace, and community; intervene against abuse.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A frail, sickly ox and an aged cow stand trembling under a harsh driver’s shadow; the scene freezes at the moment compassion intervenes—an elder or sage raises a hand in prohibition, as if dharma itself blocks the blow. The air feels charged with moral consequence, like a courtroom of the unseen.","primary_figures":["weak/sick animal (ox/cow)","cruel driver (as negative figure)","sage/elder intervenor (dharmic protector)","invisible presence of Dharma (symbolic)"],"setting":"dusty roadside near fields, a cart in the background, a small wayside shrine or dharma-stambha","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["dust umber","storm gray","warning vermilion","ashen white","protective saffron"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic moral tableau—sage with raised palm halting cruelty toward a frail cow/ox, gold leaf emphasizing the dharmic gesture and shrine aura, rich reds and greens framing the warning, ornate border with symbolic conch/discus motifs, strong contrast between compassion and violence.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tense roadside scene with refined expressions—fear in the animal’s eyes, stern compassion in the protector’s face, muted earth tones with a sharp vermilion accent, delicate brushwork conveying vulnerability and ethical intervention.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized figures, the protector’s hand as central icon, red-yellow-green palette with dark grounding, expressive eyes amplifying karuṇā and raudra, temple-wall moral didacticism.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical composition—central cow as sacred being, surrounding border of lotuses and protective motifs, a dharma-guardian figure intervening, deep blue and gold highlights, symbolic rather than violent depiction, emphasizing sanctity and protection."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp temple bell strike","wind over dry ground","distant cattle cry","sudden silence after admonition"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पीडयेद्यस्तु = पीडयेत् + यः + तु; तथैव = तथा + एव; अतिबालातिवृद्धं = अतिबालातिवृद्धम् (m.c.); गोहत्यां = गोहत्याम्.
FAQs
It equates harming vulnerable people (the weak, sick, very young, and very old) with a grave sin, stressing ahimsa and protection of those unable to defend themselves.
Gohatya is treated as a major transgression in many dharma texts; the comparison intensifies the moral seriousness of exploiting the vulnerable.
The weak (durbala), the ill (gada-saṃyuta), the very young (atibāla), and the very old (ativṛddha).