Shloka 39
The Supremacy of Food-Charity and the Rāma–Śambūka Episode
Child Revived through Rājadharma
रामस्य दुष्कृतं व्यक्तं येन ते मृत्युरागतः । बालवध्या ब्रह्मवध्या स्त्रीवध्या चैव राघवम्
rāmasya duṣkṛtaṃ vyaktaṃ yena te mṛtyurāgataḥ | bālavadhyā brahmavadhyā strīvadhyā caiva rāghavam
กรรมชั่วของพระรามปรากฏชัด—เพราะเหตุนั้นความตายจึงมาถึงท่าน โทษบาปแห่งการฆ่าเด็ก ฆ่าพราหมณ์ และฆ่าสตรี ตกอยู่แก่ราฆวะ
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyaya 35 narrative frame).
Concept: Kingship is morally accountable: when adharma appears in the realm, subjects may interpret it as the ruler’s fault and demand rectification.
Application: Do not weaponize blame in grief, yet recognize that leadership must answer for systemic harm; seek truth, due process, and restoration of order.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In the palace forecourt, the grieving brāhmaṇa’s face hardens from sorrow into fierce indictment as he points toward the unseen king. The dead child becomes the silent evidence, while the air feels charged—courtiers recoil, guards tense, and the very idea of ‘Rāma the righteous’ is put on trial.","primary_figures":["Accusing brāhmaṇa","Dead child","Palace guards","Courtiers","Rāma (suggested presence, partially revealed)"],"setting":"Ayodhyā palace gate/court with assembled witnesses; a public space where dharma is debated aloud.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["burnished gold","crimson","slate gray","ivory","dark teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic court scene with the brāhmaṇa in the foreground pointing in accusation; the child held as solemn proof; Rāma partially visible on a throne or behind a curtain with a restrained halo; heavy gold leaf on crowns, pillars, and ornaments; rich reds/greens; expressive, high-contrast faces; embossed gold detailing amplifying the moral intensity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tense court tableau with delicate brushwork; the brāhmaṇa’s gesture sharp and angular; refined expressions of shock among courtiers; cool slate shadows with warm dawn highlights; architectural elegance and narrative clarity in a compact composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and saturated reds/yellows/greens; the brāhmaṇa’s accusatory posture exaggerated for storytelling; Rāma depicted with calm, large eyes and composed stance; rhythmic patterns on garments; temple-wall narrative energy.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: court scene framed by ornate floral borders and lotus motifs; deep blue background with gold accents; figures arranged in a devotional narrative register; peacocks at corners; Rāma’s presence dignified, the accusation rendered as a moral drama panel."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp staff strike on stone","crowd gasp","conch shell (punctuating)","temple bells (urgent)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मृत्युरागतः = मृत्युः + आगतः (उः + आ → उरा). चैव = च + एव.
FAQs
It states that a visible wrongdoing attributed to Rāma has led to the arrival of death for the addressed person, and it lists severe forms of killing (child, brāhmaṇa, woman) as the associated guilt.
In dharma literature these are treated as especially grave transgressions; the verse intensifies moral blame by naming paradigmatic “heavy” sins (mahāpātaka-like categories).
Actions have consequences, and moral responsibility is framed through dharmic categories of harm—especially harm to the vulnerable and to protected social/religious classes.