Shloka 37
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
न विषं विषमित्याहुर्ब्रह्मस्वं विषमुच्यते । विषमेकाकिनं हंति ब्रह्मस्वं पुत्रपौत्रकम्
na viṣaṃ viṣamityāhurbrahmasvaṃ viṣamucyate | viṣamekākinaṃ haṃti brahmasvaṃ putrapautrakam
അവർ പറയുന്നു—വിഷം തന്നെയാണ് യഥാർത്ഥ ‘വിഷം’ അല്ല; (അന്യായമായി എടുത്ത) ബ്രാഹ്മണസ്വമാണ് ‘വിഷം’ എന്നു പറയപ്പെടുന്നത്. വിഷം ഒരാളെ മാത്രം കൊല്ലും; ബ്രാഹ്മണധനം പുത്ര-പൗത്രസഹിതം നശിപ്പിക്കും।
Unspecified (narrative voice within Adhyaya 48; exact dialogue speaker not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: True ‘poison’ is not a substance but sacrilegious appropriation of brahmasva; its harm multiplies through progeny.
Application: Reframe ‘danger’ as ethical: fear moral toxins more than physical ones; practice careful stewardship of donations and institutional resources; cultivate humility toward teachers and sacred learning.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A striking symbolic composition: on one side, a small vial of literal poison sits harmlessly; on the other, a gleaming chest marked ‘brahmasva’ emits dark fumes that spread into a family tree whose branches wither. Above, a calm Viṣṇu presence (only symbols—śaṅkha, cakra, padma) indicates that cosmic order witnesses the breach.","primary_figures":["Symbolic poison vial","Chest of brahmasva (personified as poison)","A family tree with sons and grandsons (symbolic)","Viṣṇu emblems (śaṅkha-cakra-padma)"],"setting":"An allegorical moral mandala—half still-life, half cosmic diagram—set against a temple-like backdrop with faint lotus motifs.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp gold","inky black","lotus pink","peacock blue","bronze brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central mandala with two contrasted objects—tiny poison vial and ornate brahmasva chest—gold leaf highlighting the chest’s deceptive allure; blackened fumes rendered with textured embossing; family tree motif in the background with withering leaves; Viṣṇu emblems in the top register with radiant gold halos, rich red-green borders and gem-like ornamentation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant symbolic still-life with refined detailing; the poison vial small and understated, the brahmasva chest ornate; a delicate family tree drawn like a genealogical scroll, leaves fading from green to gray; cool blues and soft pinks with restrained gold, lyrical clarity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and flat colors; large stylized chest with dark curling fumes; family tree in banded registers showing sons and grandsons; Viṣṇu emblems above with bright yellow-red highlights; temple-wall symmetry and decorative lotus borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical moral diagram framed by lotus and tulasi garlands; central ornate chest with gold accents, dark fumes stylized as floral-vine patterns turning black; family tree branches integrated into border design; deep blue ground, intricate floral filigree, Nathdwara-inspired ornamentation with a didactic centerpiece."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["single bell toll","low tanpura drone","soft conch echo","measured silence after the metaphor"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विषमिति = विषम् + इति; आहुः = आहुः (आहुर् before consonant); ब्रह्मस्वं = ब्रह्म + स्वम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); विषमेकाकिनम् = विषम् + एकाकिनम्; पुत्रपौत्रकम् treated as द्वन्द्व (putra+pautraka) in neuter collective.
FAQs
It warns that misappropriating a Brahmin’s property (brahmasva) is considered more destructive than physical poison, with consequences extending to one’s descendants.
Poison harms an individual body, but the text frames wrongful taking of brahmasva as a grave adharma whose karmic and social-spiritual consequences can ruin an entire family line.
No. This shloka is primarily a dharma-ethical admonition about theft and misuse of protected religious property, rather than a description of sacred geography or devotional practice.