Shloka 23
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
पादमुद्यच्छते वा यस्तस्य पादे शिलीपदः । खंजो वा मंदजंघो वा खण्डपादो भवेन्नरः
pādamudyacchate vā yastasya pāde śilīpadaḥ | khaṃjo vā maṃdajaṃgho vā khaṇḍapādo bhavennaraḥ
ആരെങ്കിലും അടിക്കാനായി കാൽ ഉയർത്തുന്നവന്റെ കാലിൽ ശ്ലീപദം (ആനക്കാൽ രോഗം) ഉണ്ടാകും. ആ മനുഷ്യൻ മുടന്തനോ, ദുർബലകാലുകളുള്ളവനോ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ കാലവൈകല്യമുള്ളവനോ ആകുന്നു.
Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher voice within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa Adhyaya 48)
Concept: Harmful intent expressed through violence rebounds as bodily affliction; restraint (ahiṃsā) protects one’s own integrity.
Application: Interrupt anger before it becomes action; practice non-violent conflict resolution; treat the body as a sacred trust used for worship and service.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A moral tableau: a man lifts his foot in anger to strike, but the moment freezes as a dark karmic shadow coils around the ankle, swelling into elephantiasis. Behind him, an unseen cosmic ledger glows faintly, suggesting that violence returns to the doer as bodily distortion.","primary_figures":["an angry householder","a subtle Yama-dūta silhouette (symbolic)","a faint dharma-śāstra manuscript motif"],"setting":"village threshold or courtyard where a quarrel begins; symbolic cosmic backdrop with faint scales of justice","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro with ominous undertones","color_palette":["smoky indigo","ash gray","rust red","saffron ochre","dull gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a cautionary dharma scene of a man raising his foot to strike at a doorway, the foot encircled by stylized dark karmic coils and swelling, with a small inset of Yama’s court in the background; gold leaf embellishment on the dharma-scroll and ornaments, rich reds and greens, gem-studded borders, traditional South Indian iconographic framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a village courtyard quarrel paused mid-gesture, the raised foot subtly swollen, a translucent karmic aura painted as delicate smoke; cool muted palette, refined faces showing fear and regret, distant hills and a small shrine hinting at dharma’s witness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines of the figure with an emphasized swollen foot, symbolic serpentine karma wrapping the ankle; temple-wall aesthetic with flat fields of red, yellow, and green, stylized eyes, and a small emblem of dharma (scale/scroll) above.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a moral allegory framed by lotus and tulasi borders, central figure halted from violence, with Vishnu’s chakra motif faintly in the sky as a reminder of divine order; deep blues and gold, intricate floral patterns, peacocks at the margins as witnesses."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant conch shell","heavy silence after the warning","soft drum pulse"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पादमुद्यच्छते→पादम् उद्यच्छते; यस्तस्य→यः तस्य; खंजो→खञ्जः; भवेन्नरः→भवेत् नरः.
FAQs
It teaches karmic retribution: intending or attempting to strike (raising the foot to harm) results in bodily affliction, especially to the same limb involved.
“Śilīpada” denotes elephantiasis—an abnormal swelling disease of the leg/foot—used as a vivid consequence for violent intent or action.
Yes. By warning of severe physical consequences for attempting harm, it reinforces restraint and non-violence as practical ethics.