Shloka 45
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
स्ववंशान्पातयित्वा तु पुनर्जन्म न विंदते । त्रिवेदं स्नातकं हत्वा वधस्यांतं न विन्दते
svavaṃśānpātayitvā tu punarjanma na viṃdate | trivedaṃ snātakaṃ hatvā vadhasyāṃtaṃ na vindate
സ്വവംശത്തെ പതനത്തിലാക്കുകയാണെങ്കിൽ പുനർജന്മം ലഭിക്കില്ല; ത്രിവേദപാരംഗതനായ സ്നാതകനെ വധിച്ചാൽ ആ വധപാപത്തിന് അന്തം കാണാനാവില്ല।
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses to identify the dialogue pair).
Concept: Destroying one’s lineage and killing a tri-vedic स्नातक are portrayed as near-irreparable moral catastrophes; some sins are described as ‘without end’ in their consequences.
Application: Protect family integrity through ethical conduct; avoid actions that bring collective downfall; support education and spiritual discipline; if harm is done, pursue sincere atonement and service rather than denial.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A poignant vision of a family line represented as a luminous ancestral tree whose branches wither when adharma strikes. Beside it stands a tri-vedic snātaka with sacred thread and water-pot, while a dark fissure opens beneath the aggressor’s feet, suggesting consequences that do not ‘find an end’.","primary_figures":["tri-vedic snātaka brāhmaṇa","personified Kula-devatā as a protective light","a remorseful perpetrator figure","ancestral silhouettes (pitṛs) fading"],"setting":"Ancestral courtyard with a śrāddha altar and a nearby hermitage path; symbolic ‘kula-tree’ rising behind.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["pale silver","midnight blue","sandalwood beige","crimson accent","ashen gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a radiant kula-tree with tiny ancestral medallions in gold leaf, a snātaka brāhmaṇa holding kamaṇḍalu and Veda, and a remorseful figure at the edge of a dark chasm; ornate gold borders, deep red backdrop, stylized flames of karma around the chasm, devotional symbolism over literal violence.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet courtyard with a śrāddha platform, a luminous tree of ancestors, the snātaka in white garments, and a sorrowful figure; delicate brushwork, cool night palette, subtle mist, expressive eyes conveying karuṇā.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic snātaka with bold outlines, kula-tree motif behind with stylized pitṛ faces, a dark underworld fissure below; strong red/yellow/green fields, temple-wall symmetry, solemn gaze and moral warning.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic kula-tree made of lotus vines, pitṛ silhouettes as small medallions, central snātaka figure near a Viṣṇu emblem indicating refuge; intricate floral borders, indigo ground, gold highlights, narrative panels suggesting lineage preservation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["night insects","distant temple bell","soft flowing water","long pauses/silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्ववंशान्पातयित्वा = स्ववंशान् + पातयित्वा; पुनर्जन्म = पुनः + जन्म; वधस्यांतम् = वधस्य + अन्तम्.
FAQs
A snātaka is a person who has completed Vedic study and the ceremonial bath marking graduation; the verse treats harming such a learned person as an extremely grave sin.
The verse stresses the heavy karmic consequences of destructive acts—especially ruining one’s own family line and killing a highly learned, ritually qualified person—implying such actions are among the most serious violations of dharma.
In context, such statements commonly function as hyperbolic or emphatic dharma-language: it underscores extraordinary gravity and enduring consequences, rather than presenting a technical metaphysical denial; precise intent depends on the surrounding passage.