Shloka 18
The Greatness of the Viṣṇu-pañcaka
Five-Day Kārttika Observance
असत्यभाषी मित्रघ्नो वेश्याविभ्रम लोलुपः । ब्रह्मस्वहारी क्रूरश्च परस्त्रीगमने रतः
asatyabhāṣī mitraghno veśyāvibhrama lolupaḥ | brahmasvahārī krūraśca parastrīgamane rataḥ
وہ جھوٹ بولنے والا، دوستوں کا قاتل، کسبیوں کی دل فریبی کا لالچی؛ برہمنوں کے مال کا ہڑپنے والا، سنگ دل، اور پرائی عورت کی طرف جانے میں مشغول تھا۔
Unspecified in provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses of Brahma-khaṇḍa 4.23)
Concept: Adharma is multi-layered: false speech, betrayal, sexual exploitation, theft of sacred property, cruelty, and adultery collectively degrade the self and society.
Application: Practice satya, loyalty, and restraint; avoid exploitation and protect what is sacred (including others’ trust and resources); seek atonement through sincere devotion and ethical repair when one errs.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark moral allegory: Daṇḍakara stands amid shadowed vices—broken friendship tokens, a stolen ritual vessel, and a dim tavern corner—while spectral silhouettes of harmed people recede into darkness. The composition feels like a Purāṇic ‘mirror of adharma,’ preparing the viewer for the later light of repentance.","primary_figures":["Daṇḍakara","symbolic figures of betrayed friend and wronged household","shadowy personifications of vice"],"setting":"Nighttime village outskirts blending into a symbolic interior—half tavern, half alley, half desecrated ritual space—like a dream-vision of sin.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["charcoal black","blood red","tarnished bronze","ashen white","deep violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: moral allegory panel with central figure in dramatic posture; gold leaf used as ironic highlights on stolen sacred vessels and jewelry; rich maroon and dark green background; stylized flames and lamp shadows; ornate frame with small medallions depicting satya and dharma as faint, distant icons.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: narrative vignette with multiple small scenes in one frame (false speech, betrayal, theft, adultery) arranged around the central figure; delicate linework, subdued nocturnal palette, expressive gestures, minimal gold, refined facial features conveying moral tension.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and symbolic color blocks; vice personifications as stylized attendants around Daṇḍakara; strong reds and blacks, patterned borders with warning motifs; sacred vessel rendered with traditional mural ornamentation to emphasize desecration.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical composition with dark indigo ground; border of withered lotus buds and thorny vines; central figure surrounded by symbolic objects (broken mala, overturned kalasha); faint distant lotus and Tulasi motifs at the top edge hinting at future purification."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low drum","distant thunder","murmurs of a crowd","sudden silence on key epithets"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वेश्याविभ्रम लोलुपः (पाठे) → वेश्याविभ्रमलोलुपः (समासग्रहण); क्रूरश्च = क्रूरः + च; परस्त्रीगमने = पर + स्त्री + गमने (समास).
FAQs
It condemns a cluster of serious adharma—lying, betraying friends, sexual exploitation, theft (especially of Brahmin property), cruelty, and adultery—presenting them as disgraceful and spiritually harmful traits.
“Brahmasva” commonly denotes wealth/property belonging to a Brāhmaṇa (Brahmin). Stealing it is treated as a particularly grave offense in many Dharma and Purāṇic discussions.
“Going to another’s wife” (adultery) is highlighted as a major violation of dharma because it harms households, trust, and social order, and is repeatedly condemned in Purāṇic ethical teaching.