Shloka 94
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
कारयेत्कृषिवाणिज्यं विप्रकर्म न च त्यजेत् । वणिग्भावान्मृषात्युक्तौ दुर्गतिं प्राप्नुयाद्द्विजः । आर्द्रद्रव्यं परित्यज्य ब्राह्मणो लभते शिवम् । समुत्पाद्य ततो वृत्तिं दद्याद्विप्राय सर्वशः
kārayetkṛṣivāṇijyaṃ viprakarma na ca tyajet | vaṇigbhāvānmṛṣātyuktau durgatiṃ prāpnuyāddvijaḥ | ārdradravyaṃ parityajya brāhmaṇo labhate śivam | samutpādya tato vṛttiṃ dadyādviprāya sarvaśaḥ
เขาอาจให้ทำกสิกรรมและการค้าได้ แต่ไม่พึงละทิ้งกิจของพราหมณ์ หากทวิชะกล่าวเท็จเพราะนิสัยพ่อค้า ย่อมตกสู่ความเสื่อมทราม เมื่อสละทรัพย์ที่ได้มาโดยมิชอบ พราหมณ์ย่อมได้มงคล แล้วเมื่อก่อเกิดปัจจัยยังชีพแล้ว พึงถวายส่วนหนึ่งแก่พราหมณ์โดยทั่วกัน
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyaya 48 framing dialogue).
Concept: Right livelihood must not erode brāhmaṇa-dharma; falsehood and tainted wealth degrade, while renunciation of ill-gotten gain and charitable sharing purify.
Application: Choose honest income streams; refuse profit that requires deception; if wealth is acquired wrongly, rectify through restitution/renunciation; budget a fixed share for charity, especially to teachers, priests, and genuine spiritual service.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A brāhmaṇa householder stands at the threshold between a granary and a small fire-altar, holding a simple ledger and a handful of grain. He turns away from a pouch of dubious coins offered by a merchant, then places clean earnings into a donation bowl for a learned brāhmaṇa seated calmly with scriptures.","primary_figures":["brāhmaṇa householder","learned brāhmaṇa recipient","merchant (temptation figure)"],"setting":"village marketplace edge blending into a domestic courtyard with agnihotra altar, sacks of grain, weighing tools, and a donation vessel","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["ochre","sandalwood beige","deep maroon","smoke gray","golden amber"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a brāhmaṇa in white dhoti and angavastra beside a small agnihotra altar, rejecting a dark pouch of ill-gotten coins and offering clean grain/coins into a golden dāna-pātra for a seated vipra; ornate arch frame, gold leaf halos, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments on ritual vessels, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet bazaar-courtyard scene with delicate brushwork—brāhmaṇa weighing grain honestly, turning away from a sly merchant, then gifting a share to a serene scholar; cool earthy palette, lyrical trees and distant hills, refined facial features, fine textile patterns.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments—central brāhmaṇa near a small sacred fire, gesture of refusal toward deceitful wealth, gesture of dāna toward a seated vipra; stylized eyes, red/yellow/green dominance, temple-wall composition with ritual motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional moral tableau framed by lotus and floral borders—honest livelihood and dāna offered as service to Hari’s devotees; intricate patterns, deep blues and gold accents, symbolic tulasi and conch motifs subtly woven into the border, cows in the background to suggest dharmic prosperity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","low fire-crackle","market ambience fading into silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vaṇigbhāvāt + mṛṣā = vaṇigbhāvānmṛṣā (t to n); prāpnuyāt + dvijaḥ = prāpnuyāddvijaḥ (t to d); dadyāt + viprāya = dadyādviprāya (t to d)
FAQs
Yes, it allows having agriculture and trade carried out, but insists that brāhmaṇa-specific duties must not be abandoned and that ethical conduct (especially truthfulness) must be maintained.
The verse warns that adopting a merchant-like mindset that leads to false speech results in “durgati” (a miserable or harmful outcome), emphasizing satya (truth) as central to dharma.
It advises renouncing “ārdradravya” (tainted or improperly acquired wealth) and then sustaining oneself rightly and giving appropriately in charity—particularly to brāhmaṇas.