Shloka 46
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
श्रोत्रियं च सदाचारं तीर्थमंत्रप्रपूतकम् । ईदृशं ब्राह्मणं हन्तुः पापस्यांतो न विद्यते
śrotriyaṃ ca sadācāraṃ tīrthamaṃtraprapūtakam | īdṛśaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ hantuḥ pāpasyāṃto na vidyate
వేదపారంగతుడు, సదాచారసంపన్నుడు, తీర్థకర్మలూ మంత్రాలూ చేత పవిత్రుడైన అటువంటి బ్రాహ్మణుణ్ని హతమార్చినవాడికి పాపానికి అంతం లేదు।
Unknown (context not provided in the excerpt; likely within a narrated dialogue of Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa 48)
Concept: Killing a brāhmaṇa who is śrotriya, of good conduct, and purified by tirtha-rites and mantras yields sin described as without terminus—an extreme deterrent against harming the ritually perfected.
Application: Value character (sadācāra) alongside learning; treat ritual practitioners with respect; avoid contempt for ‘ritualism’—in Padma it is often a vehicle for devotion and purification.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A brāhmaṇa of impeccable conduct stands after bathing at a sacred ford, water still glistening on his hands as he recites mantras; a subtle aura of purity surrounds him. In contrast, a looming shadow of ‘endless sin’ coils like a serpent around the would-be aggressor, halted by the radiance of mantra and tīrtha.","primary_figures":["śrotriya brāhmaṇa of sadācāra","personified Mantra as luminous syllables","personified Pāpa as a shadow-serpent","a distant Viṣṇu shrine or chakra emblem"],"setting":"River-tīrtha ghat with stone steps, kusa grass, a small shrine, and pilgrims in the far background.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["river turquoise","sunrise gold","pure white","leaf green","charcoal black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a tīrtha ghat at dawn with a radiant brāhmaṇa reciting mantra, luminous Sanskrit syllables forming a halo, a small Viṣṇu shrine with gold leaf arch, and a dark serpent-like pāpa shadow recoiling; heavy gold embellishment, rich reds/greens, ornate jewelry on symbolic figures.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate riverbank scene with soft dawn light, the brāhmaṇa in white performing ācamana, tiny mantra syllables painted like fireflies, distant pilgrims and trees; subtle shadow-serpent motif near the edge, cool naturalism and refined faces.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: frontal brāhmaṇa with kamaṇḍalu and mantra-gesture, bold outlines, stylized river waves, mantra syllables as bright motifs, dark pāpa-serpent below; warm pigment blocks, temple-wall symmetry, intense moral iconography.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: river-tīrtha framed by lotus borders, central purified brāhmaṇa with mantra aura, a small Viṣṇu emblem above, intricate floral patterns, deep blue-green water, gold highlights; symbolic pāpa-serpent woven into border corners."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","mantra undertone (soft)","morning birds","single bell strike"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तीर्थमंत्रप्रपूतकम् = तीर्थ + मन्त्र + प्रपूतकम्; पापस्यांतो = पापस्य + अन्तः.
FAQs
It emphasizes three marks: śrotriya (Veda-learned), sadācāra (upright conduct), and being purified/consecrated through tīrtha and mantra (sacred rites and mantric sanctification).
The verse warns that violence against a truly virtuous and ritually sanctified brāhmaṇa is an exceptionally grave wrongdoing, described as producing sin without a foreseeable limit.
It indicates a person who is not merely socially designated as a brāhmaṇa, but one who is spiritually and ritually refined—purified by sacred observances associated with tīrthas and by mantra-based consecrations.