Shloka 40
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
कदाचिदपि वा तेषां निष्कृतिं नानुमेनिरे । प्राणं हत्वा द्विजातीनां स्वयं यात्यपुनर्भवम्
kadācidapi vā teṣāṃ niṣkṛtiṃ nānumenire | prāṇaṃ hatvā dvijātīnāṃ svayaṃ yātyapunarbhavam
तेषां कर्मणां निष्कृतिं कदाचिदपि नानुमेनिरे; द्विजातीनां प्राणं हत्वा स्वयमेव अपुनर्भवपदं याति।
Unspecified narrator (contextual speaker not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: Certain acts are framed as beyond ordinary expiation; brahma-hatyā is treated as a boundary-violation that collapses one’s spiritual trajectory into irreversible ruin.
Application: Adopt ahiṃsā and conflict de-escalation; avoid hatred toward religious teachers; support learning and ethical counsel; seek timely correction for lesser faults rather than letting them escalate.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark courtroom of Yama: a slain brāhmaṇa’s fallen kamaṇḍalu and broken daṇḍa lie on the ground, while the killer stands bound by dark cords of karma. Above, a stone tablet reads ‘niṣkṛtiḥ na’—no expiation—while a one-way gate opens into a black corridor symbolizing irreversible ruin.","primary_figures":["Yama (judge, optional)","Chitragupta (scribe, optional)","A brāhmaṇa victim (symbolic presence)","The killer (bound sinner)"],"setting":"Infernal tribunal with iron pillars, scrolls of deeds, and a single unreturning doorway; ritual objects (yajnopavīta, kamaṇḍalu) as moral symbols.","lighting_mood":"cold, judgmental chiaroscuro","color_palette":["stone white","ink black","deep maroon","bronze","smoke gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Yama enthroned with gold leaf halo and ornate arch; Chitragupta holding a palm-leaf ledger; the bound sinner in the foreground; ritual objects rendered with jewel-like detail; gold leaf used to emphasize the ‘law’ motifs and throne, rich reds and greens framing the severe scene.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: restrained, elegant courtroom scene with fine facial expressions; muted palette, delicate depiction of sacred thread and ascetic implements; a narrow black passage painted as a flat, ominous shape to signify ‘no return’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, flat pigments; Yama and attendants in iconic poses; symbolic text panel ‘niṣkṛti’ integrated like mural cartouche; strong red/yellow/green with black corridor motif.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical composition—central dark doorway encircled by a broken garland motif; floral borders become severed vines near the sinner; deep indigo ground with gold detailing used ironically to show the lost auspiciousness of dharma."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Darbari","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"grave","sound_elements":["single low bell strike","scribal scratching","echoing footsteps","wind through a corridor","long silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नानुमेनिरे = न + अनुमेनिरे; यात्यपुनर्भवम् = याति + अपुनर्भवम् (स्वर-सन्धि)
FAQs
It states that for this act they did not accept any expiation at all; the killing of a “twice-born” is presented as leading to an irreversible downfall.
“Dvijāti” literally means “twice-born,” commonly referring to the three varṇas who undergo the sacred-thread initiation (Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya).
The verse underscores the gravity of violence against spiritually and socially protected persons, presenting such harm as carrying severe, potentially irreversible karmic consequences.