Shloka 96
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
छलभावं तुले कृत्वा नरकं प्रतिपद्यते । अतुलं चापि यद्द्रव्यं तत्र मिथ्या परित्यजेत्
chalabhāvaṃ tule kṛtvā narakaṃ pratipadyate | atulaṃ cāpi yaddravyaṃ tatra mithyā parityajet
തൂക്കത്തിൽ വഞ്ചന ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ നരകത്തെ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു. തൂക്കാൻ യോജ്യമല്ലാത്ത വസ്തുവിലും മിഥ്യാവ്യവഹാരം ഉപേക്ഷിക്കണം.
Unspecified (narratorial/dharmic instruction within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa context)
Concept: Cheating by manipulating weights leads to hell; do not misclassify goods as weighable to deceive—truth must govern commerce.
Application: In business: transparent pricing, accurate measurement, no hidden fees, no misleading categorization; in daily life: avoid ‘technicalities’ used to exploit others.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A shadowy marketplace scene shows a deceitful trader secretly pressing a balance scale with his thumb, while the victim looks confused. Behind them, the scene dissolves into a terrifying vision of Yama’s realm—iron gates, judgment scrolls, and the same scale now blazing with karmic fire.","primary_figures":["deceitful trader","innocent buyer","Yama (suggested)","Yamadūtas (suggested)"],"setting":"market stall transitioning into a naraka courtroom with iron architecture and karmic ledgers","lighting_mood":"dramatic","color_palette":["charcoal black","rust red","ember orange","ashen white","cold steel blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: split-scene composition—foreground merchant cheating with a tilted tulā, background a gold-leaf yet ominous Yama court with fiery accents; ornate but severe framing, gem-like highlights on the scale, rich maroons and dark greens, stylized flames.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: narrative transition—market vignette blending into a dark judgment landscape; delicate linework for the scale mechanism, expressive faces, subdued palette with sharp ember highlights, distant rocky naraka terrain.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines—large central tulā, one pan weighed down by deceit; Yama and attendants in stylized form, red/yellow/green with heavy blacks, temple-wall intensity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: moral allegory—central balance scale surrounded by intricate floral border that darkens into thorn motifs; deep indigo ground with gold and crimson flames, symbolic chakra/conch motifs indicating divine law overseeing commerce."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp bell strikes","low drum","wind-like hush","distant thunder"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यद्द्रव्यं = यत् + द्रव्यम्; चापि = च + अपि.
FAQs
It condemns cheating in trade—specifically manipulating weights/measures or misrepresenting how a commodity should be evaluated—calling it a cause of falling into naraka (hell).
“Atula” indicates something not properly assessed by weighing; the verse warns against falsely bringing such goods “onto the scale” (i.e., misclassifying or misrepresenting them) as a means of deception.
Maintain truthfulness and fairness in transactions: use correct measures, avoid fraudulent practices, and do not manipulate classifications or standards to gain unjust profit.