Shloka 61
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
लोके विप्रसमो नास्ति पूजनीयो जगद्गुरुः । हत्वा तं यद्भवेत्पापं तत्परं च न विद्यते
loke viprasamo nāsti pūjanīyo jagadguruḥ | hatvā taṃ yadbhavetpāpaṃ tatparaṃ ca na vidyate
Di dunia tiada yang setara dengan brāhmaṇa; dia wajar dimuliakan sebagai guru jagat. Dosa yang timbul daripada membunuhnya—tiada dosa yang lebih besar daripada itu.
Not specified in the provided excerpt (context-dependent within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa 48).
Concept: The brāhmaṇa, as bearer of sacred knowledge and teacher, is uniquely venerable; brahma-hatyā (killing a brāhmaṇa) is portrayed as the greatest sin.
Application: Cultivate respect for teachers and ethical exemplars; protect learning and spiritual institutions; avoid contempt, exploitation, or harm toward those dedicated to knowledge and service; practice humility in learning.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene teaching scene: a brāhmaṇa-guru sits on a kusa-grass seat, radiating quiet authority, while kings, householders, and even celestial beings bow with folded hands. Above, a subtle cosmic mandala suggests the ‘three worlds’ listening to dharma, and the air feels charged with sanctity and warning against sacrilege.","primary_figures":["Brāhmaṇa guru (jagad-guru archetype)","Kings and ministers","Householders","Devas (symbolic)"],"setting":"Hermitage classroom under a banyan tree with a small fire altar, manuscripts, and a water pot; distant suggestion of a palace and a celestial canopy to show universal reverence.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["lotus pink","saffron gold","leaf green","ivory","sky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central brāhmaṇa-ācārya with gold leaf halo seated on a kusa mat, holding a palm-leaf manuscript; surrounding figures—king with crown, devotees, and small celestial attendants—offer añjali; rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments on royal figures, embossed gold borders, sacred fire altar with gold highlights, devotional symmetry emphasizing reverence.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tranquil āśrama under a banyan, delicate faces showing humility, soft morning light, cool blues and greens with saffron accents; the guru’s presence is calm and luminous, with refined linework on manuscripts and sacred thread, lyrical naturalism and floral border.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic guru figure with large eyes and bold outlines, flat pigments in red/yellow/green; rows of bowing figures including a stylized king; a simple mandala-like aura behind the guru, temple-wall narrative clarity and solemnity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central guru seated beneath a lotus canopy, surrounded by concentric rings of devotees and symbolic celestial beings; intricate floral borders, lotus motifs, deep blue background with gold highlights; subtle inclusion of conch and chakra motifs to hint that honoring the guru aligns with Hari’s order."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft temple bells","birds at dawn","gentle fire crackle"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: न + अस्ति → नास्ति; जगत् + गुरुः → जगद्गुरुः; यत् + भवेत् + पापम् → यद्भवेत्पापम्; तत् + परम् → तत्परम्.
FAQs
It teaches that a brāhmaṇa is to be treated as highly venerable, and that violence against such a person—especially killing—is described as an unsurpassed moral transgression.
It reinforces ahimsa (non-violence) and the protection of social-spiritual teachers, framing harm to them as a grave adharma with severe karmic consequences.
No. The verse is ethical and social-dharmic in focus, emphasizing reverence and the gravity of violence rather than pilgrimage sites or geography.