Shloka 14
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
ब्रह्मोवाच । क्षुधा संतप्तदेहानां ब्राह्मणानां महात्मनाम् । नार्चयेच्छक्तितो भक्त्या स याति नरकं नरः
brahmovāca | kṣudhā saṃtaptadehānāṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ mahātmanām | nārcayecchaktito bhaktyā sa yāti narakaṃ naraḥ
ബ്രഹ്മാവ് അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ശക്തിയുണ്ടായിട്ടും വിശപ്പാൽ പീഡിതദേഹരായ മഹാത്മ ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ ഭക്തിയോടെ ആദരിക്കാത്തവൻ നരകത്തിലേക്കു പോകുന്നു।
Brahmā
Concept: Neglecting hungry, great-souled brāhmaṇas despite having capacity—especially without bhakti—constitutes grave adharma leading to naraka.
Application: Give within one’s means; prioritize feeding the hungry and supporting sincere spiritual practitioners; cultivate bhakti as the motive rather than social display.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Brahmā speaks with stern clarity from his lotus seat, his four faces reflecting omniscient judgment. Below, a hungry brāhmaṇa’s hollow cheeks and bowed posture contrast with a wealthy householder’s closed granary—an image of abundance turned into sin by refusal.","primary_figures":["Brahmā","hungry brāhmaṇa","wealthy householder","attendant sages (optional)"],"setting":"Celestial lotus-throne court with a moral vignette of an earthly home and granary in the foreground.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit severity with sharp highlights","color_palette":["burnished gold","deep maroon","ash white","indigo","wheat brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Brahmā enthroned on a lotus with gold leaf aura, four faces and four Vedas implied; foreground shows a brāhmaṇa atithi with begging bowl and a rich man turning away beside overflowing grain jars; heavy ornamentation, ruby-green textiles, embossed gold borders, dramatic moral contrast.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined Brahmā in a pale lotus pavilion; foreground narrative of a village courtyard with grain baskets, a brāhmaṇa guest, and a reluctant patron; delicate shading, restrained palette, expressive hands, quiet pathos in the brāhmaṇa’s gaze.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic Brahmā with bold outlines and patterned lotus; stylized householder scene with granary motifs; strong reds/yellows/greens, symmetrical composition, didactic clarity like a temple wall panel.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Brahmā on lotus framed by floral borders; lower band shows ‘anna-dāna’ scene with lotuses and kalash motifs; deep blue ground, gold detailing, intricate vines, peacocks and conch motifs emphasizing sacred duty."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drum (mridang)","bell punctuations","conch shell swell","hushed crowd ambience","crackling sacrificial fire"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ब्रह्मोवाच = ब्रह्मा + उवाच; नार्चयेत् = न + अर्चयेत्; संतप्तदेहानाम् = संतप्त-देहानाम्
FAQs
It stresses the duty to honor and support hungry, virtuous brāhmaṇas—especially through food and respectful service—according to one’s capacity, and warns against neglect when one is able to help.
The verse frames honoring the needy and worthy as an act to be done “with bhakti,” implying that sincere devotion is expressed through compassionate, respectful giving—not merely ritual.
It states that such a person “goes to hell” (naraka), presenting neglect of compassionate duty as a serious breach of dharma.