Shloka 38
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
मोहाच्च मातरं गत्वा ब्राह्मणीं च गुरोस्त्रियम् । पतित्वा रौरवे घोरे पुनरुत्पत्तिदुर्लभः
mohācca mātaraṃ gatvā brāhmaṇīṃ ca gurostriyam | patitvā raurave ghore punarutpattidurlabhaḥ
ผู้ใดถูกความหลงครอบงำ เข้าไปหามารดาของตน และยังเข้าไปหาภรรยาพราหมณ์ของครูผู้เป็นคุรุ—ครั้นตกสู่นรกเราโรวะอันน่าสะพรึง—ย่อมได้การเกิดใหม่ยากยิ่ง
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyāya 48 framing dialogue).
Concept: Severe adharma rooted in moha (delusion) leads to Naraka and obstructs human rebirth; sexual transgression against mother and guru-patnī is portrayed as among the gravest violations of social-spiritual order.
Application: Guard boundaries of family and teacher relationships; avoid intoxicants/impulses that breed moha; cultivate sāttvika habits, confession, and corrective discipline before harm becomes irreversible.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A shadowed threshold between the human world and Naraka: a deluded man, eyes clouded, steps toward forbidden figures symbolized as veiled silhouettes—mother and guru’s wife—while behind him yawns a chasm labeled Raurava, filled with serpentine flames and iron thorns. Above, a faint lotus-like radiance of Viṣṇu’s order (dharma) recedes, showing how moha eclipses discernment.","primary_figures":["A deluded man (symbolic sinner)","Veiled maternal figure (symbolic)","Veiled guru-patnī figure (symbolic)","Yama’s attendants (Yamadūtas, symbolic)"],"setting":"Liminal moral landscape: a village edge dissolving into a hellish ravine with thorn forests and ember-laden winds; distant suggestion of a temple spire fading into darkness.","lighting_mood":"smoky underworld glow","color_palette":["charcoal black","ember orange","rust red","ashen gray","sickly green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a moral allegory panel—central figure recoiling at the brink of Raurava Naraka, Yamadūtas with ornate crowns and weapons, stylized flames and thorny vines; heavy gold leaf halo used not for the sinner but for a distant dharma-lotus emblem, rich maroon and deep green borders, gem-studded ornamentation on attendants, South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate linework showing a village path turning into a dark ravine; subtle facial expressions of confusion and fear; cool slate mountains in the far background, thin smoke veils, restrained palette with sudden orange accents for hellfire, lyrical but cautionary composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, flat fields of red/yellow/green; Yamadūtas in stylized forms with large expressive eyes; Raurava depicted as a patterned infernal pit with repeating thorn motifs; temple-wall aesthetic with narrative registers (human realm above, Naraka below).","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic caution tableau—lotus borders and floral frames contrast with a central dark medallion of Raurava; peacocks and cows appear only at the margins as the lost grace of dharma; intricate vine patterns become thorny near the infernal center; deep indigo background with gold detailing to heighten moral contrast."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant conch shell","wind like a hollow flute","crackling fire","heavy silence after the warning"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मोहाच्च = मोहात् + च; गुरोस्त्रियम् = गुरोः + स्त्रियम्; पुनरुत्पत्तिदुर्लभः = पुनर् + उत्पत्ति-दुर्लभः.
FAQs
It condemns grievous sexual transgressions—approaching one’s mother and the wife of one’s teacher—and states that such acts lead to severe karmic consequences, including suffering in Raurava hell and great difficulty in obtaining rebirth.
Raurava is a named Naraka (hell realm) in Purāṇic literature, described as a dreadful place of retributive suffering for certain grave sins.
In Dharma traditions, the guru is revered like a parent, and the guru’s wife is to be regarded with similar sanctity; violating that boundary is treated as an especially serious breach of dharma.