Shloka 37
Varṇa-adhikāra, Karma, and the Protection of One’s Attained Spiritual Status (वर्णाधिकारः कर्म च स्वस्थानरक्षणम्)
व्याधितं दुर्बलं बालं स्त्र्यनाथौ कृपणं ध्रुवम् । धनुर्भग्नं छिन्नगुणं हत्वा वै ब्रह्महा भवेत्
vyādhitaṃ durbalaṃ bālaṃ stryanāthau kṛpaṇaṃ dhruvam | dhanurbhagnaṃ chinnaguṇaṃ hatvā vai brahmahā bhavet
நோயுற்றவன், பலஹீனன், குழந்தை, ஆதரவற்ற பெண் அல்லது அனாதை, ஏழை, மேலும் வில் முறிந்தும் நாண் அறுந்தும் உள்ள நிராயுதனைக் கொன்றால், அவன் நிச்சயமாக பிரம்மஹத்தி எனும் மகாபாபத்திற்குரியவன் ஆவான்।
Narratorial/śāstric voice (didactic statement within the Purāṇic discourse; specific speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Significance: Ethical restraint (ahiṃsā toward the helpless) is framed as a prerequisite for purity; without it, even ritual merit is obstructed by mahāpātaka-like demerit.
FAQs
In Purāṇic and Dharmaśāstra moral reasoning, brahmahatyā functions as a paradigmatic ‘mahāpātaka’ (great sin). By invoking brahmahā here, the text stresses the extreme spiritual gravity of harming those who are vulnerable or incapable of defense, framing such violence as a profound violation of dharma and compassion rather than merely a social offense.