Shloka 18
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
तिर्यग्योनिशतं गत्वा चांडाल्यमुपगच्छति । पादमुद्यम्य यो विप्रं हंति गां पितरौ गुरुम्
tiryagyoniśataṃ gatvā cāṃḍālyamupagacchati | pādamudyamya yo vipraṃ haṃti gāṃ pitarau gurum
ผู้ใดยกเท้าขึ้นทำร้ายพราหมณ์—หรือฆ่าวัว ฆ่าบิดามารดา หรือฆ่าครูอาจารย์—ครั้นเวียนว่ายผ่านกำเนิดสัตว์นับร้อยแล้ว ย่อมตกสู่สภาพจัณฑาล (คนนอกวรรณะ)
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyaya 48 for exact speaker attribution).
Concept: Violence against the highest dharmic supports (brāhmaṇa, cow, parents, guru) precipitates severe karmic descent and social-spiritual degradation.
Application: Practice ahiṃsā and reverence: never harm teachers/elders, protect animals (especially cows), cultivate restraint in anger, and seek reconciliation before conflict hardens into irreversible harm.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark karmic tableau: a man in a moment of rage lifts his foot to strike a venerable brāhmaṇa, while shadowy forms of a cow, parents, and a guru appear like witnesses in the air. Behind him, a procession of animal silhouettes—hundreds of wombs—spirals downward into darkness, foreshadowing the fall into outcaste existence.","primary_figures":["Brāhmaṇa (injured yet luminous)","Offender (human)","Symbolic cow","Symbolic parents","Symbolic guru","Karmic messengers (subtle, shadow-like)"],"setting":"A village threshold near a simple hermitage; the ground becomes a metaphysical gradient into a shadowed underworld spiral of rebirth.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance pierced by ominous shadow","color_palette":["ash gray","smoky indigo","saffron ochre","blood maroon","pale gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a dramatic dharma-warning panel with a luminous brāhmaṇa haloed in pale gold, the offender frozen mid-strike, symbolic cow and guru forms in the upper register like divine witnesses; heavy gold leaf for halos and borders, rich maroons and greens, ornate jewelry on the brāhmaṇa, stylized karmic spiral of animal forms in the background, temple-like framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a restrained village-hermitage scene with delicate linework; the brāhmaṇa seated near a tulasī courtyard (as a moral counterpoint), the offender’s raised foot captured in a tense moment; cool indigo shadows suggest the karmic descent, with faint animal silhouettes in a misty gradient; refined faces, lyrical trees and distant hills.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; the brāhmaṇa rendered with large expressive eyes and calm aura, the offender in a dynamic pose; symbolic cow and guru in the upper band; a stylized underworld spiral in red-black tones; temple-wall composition with decorative borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a moral allegory framed by lotus and floral borders; central vignette of dharma violation contrasted with a small side vignette of Vishnu’s feet worshiped (as the right ‘raising of the foot’); deep blues and gold accents, intricate patterns, peacocks and cows as symbolic guardians, ornate textile detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant conch","ominous drone","brief silence after key words"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tiryagyoniśatam = tiryak-yoni-śatam; cāṃḍālyamupagacchati = cāṃḍālyam + upagacchati; pādamudyamya = pādam + udyamya.
FAQs
It condemns grave violence and disrespect toward key dharmic pillars—brāhmaṇas, cows, parents, and one’s guru—stating such acts lead to severe karmic downfall.
It indicates prolonged suffering through many non-human rebirths, emphasizing the long-term consequences of serious wrongdoing.
They represent foundational supports of dharma: the cow as a symbol of sustenance and non-violence, parents as sources of life and duty, and the guru as the source of learning and spiritual discipline.