Shloka 36
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
ब्रह्मस्वं प्रणयाद्भुक्तं दहत्यासप्तमं कुलम् । विक्रमेण तु भुंजानो दशपूर्वान्दशापरान्
brahmasvaṃ praṇayādbhuktaṃ dahatyāsaptamaṃ kulam | vikrameṇa tu bhuṃjāno daśapūrvāndaśāparān
ทรัพย์ของพราหมณ์ (พรหมสวะ) หากเสพด้วยความลำเอียงเพราะความรักใคร่ผิดที่ ย่อมเผาผลาญตระกูลถึงเจ็ดชั่วคน; แต่ผู้เสพด้วยกำลังบีบบังคับย่อมทำลายสิบชั่วคนก่อนและสิบชั่วคนหลัง
Unspecified (narrative voice within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa dialogue context)
Concept: Misappropriating brahmasva harms not only the individual but the lineage; the mode of taking (favoritism vs force) intensifies karmic fallout.
Application: Avoid nepotism and ‘friendly’ misuse of entrusted funds; never coerce or exploit the vulnerable; cultivate clean means (śuddha-ājīvikā) and make amends quickly when boundaries are crossed.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dramatic ancestral vision: behind the offender, a line of forebears and descendants appears as translucent figures, some fading into ember-like ash as a symbolic fire rises from the stolen sacred wealth. Two contrasting panels show ‘pranaya’ (favoritism, soft persuasion) as a smaller flame and ‘vikrama’ (force) as a roaring conflagration consuming a wider ancestral arc.","primary_figures":["The offender (symbolic)","Ancestral line (pitṛs)","Descendants (symbolic)","A personified flame of adharma"],"setting":"A stylized moral cosmos—half household treasury, half sacrificial arena—where sacred wealth is shown near a yajña-kuṇḍa turned ominous.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["ember red","smoke gray","sacrificial gold","midnight blue","ivory white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: diptych composition—left panel ‘pranaya’ with smaller gold-tinged flames, right panel ‘vikrama’ with towering flames; ancestral figures in layered halos, gold leaf used for both sacred glow and punitive fire; rich maroon background, ornate borders, traditional motifs of yajña-kuṇḍa and treasury chest.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined multi-figure lineage silhouettes behind the central offender; flames rendered with delicate gradation, not harsh; subtle narrative contrast between mild and violent taking shown through posture and scale; cool blues with warm ember accents, lyrical yet admonitory.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized flames rising from a chest labeled as sacred trust; rows of ancestors/descendants in profile bands; strong red-yellow-black contrasts, temple-wall symmetry, expressive eyes conveying warning.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central moral emblem—treasury chest near a yajña-kuṇḍa—surrounded by concentric rings of ancestors and descendants; flames as decorative but ominous motifs; lotus border turning from pink to ash-gray to show corruption; deep blue ground with gold highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crackling fire","deep drum pulse","sharp bell strikes","brief hush after the generational counts"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रणयाद्भुक्तम् = प्रणयात् + भुक्तम्; दहत्यासप्तमं = दहति + आ-सप्तमम्; दशपूर्वान्दशापरान् = दश-पूर्वान् + दश-अपरान्.
FAQs
Brahmasva means wealth or property belonging to a brāhmaṇa—especially that which is protected by dharma (e.g., rightful possessions, gifts, endowments). The verse warns against wrongfully enjoying such property.
It grades the wrongdoing: favoritism or improper indulgence causes harm up to seven generations, while forcible seizure/oppressive enjoyment is portrayed as a graver violation with wider karmic fallout—ten generations before and after.
The verse emphasizes restraint and justice in matters of wealth: do not misappropriate protected property, and avoid coercion or abuse of power, since such acts are said to bring severe consequences to one’s lineage.