Shloka 40
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
कदाचिदपि वा तेषां निष्कृतिं नानुमेनिरे । प्राणं हत्वा द्विजातीनां स्वयं यात्यपुनर्भवम्
kadācidapi vā teṣāṃ niṣkṛtiṃ nānumenire | prāṇaṃ hatvā dvijātīnāṃ svayaṃ yātyapunarbhavam
انہوں نے ایسے فعل کے لیے کبھی کفّارہ تسلیم نہ کیا۔ دوبارہ جنم پانے والوں (دویجاتی) کی جان لے کر آدمی خود ہی اَپُنَربھَو—یعنی بے واپسی کی حالت—کو پہنچتا ہے۔
Unspecified narrator (contextual speaker not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: Certain acts are framed as beyond ordinary expiation; brahma-hatyā is treated as a boundary-violation that collapses one’s spiritual trajectory into irreversible ruin.
Application: Adopt ahiṃsā and conflict de-escalation; avoid hatred toward religious teachers; support learning and ethical counsel; seek timely correction for lesser faults rather than letting them escalate.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark courtroom of Yama: a slain brāhmaṇa’s fallen kamaṇḍalu and broken daṇḍa lie on the ground, while the killer stands bound by dark cords of karma. Above, a stone tablet reads ‘niṣkṛtiḥ na’—no expiation—while a one-way gate opens into a black corridor symbolizing irreversible ruin.","primary_figures":["Yama (judge, optional)","Chitragupta (scribe, optional)","A brāhmaṇa victim (symbolic presence)","The killer (bound sinner)"],"setting":"Infernal tribunal with iron pillars, scrolls of deeds, and a single unreturning doorway; ritual objects (yajnopavīta, kamaṇḍalu) as moral symbols.","lighting_mood":"cold, judgmental chiaroscuro","color_palette":["stone white","ink black","deep maroon","bronze","smoke gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Yama enthroned with gold leaf halo and ornate arch; Chitragupta holding a palm-leaf ledger; the bound sinner in the foreground; ritual objects rendered with jewel-like detail; gold leaf used to emphasize the ‘law’ motifs and throne, rich reds and greens framing the severe scene.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: restrained, elegant courtroom scene with fine facial expressions; muted palette, delicate depiction of sacred thread and ascetic implements; a narrow black passage painted as a flat, ominous shape to signify ‘no return’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, flat pigments; Yama and attendants in iconic poses; symbolic text panel ‘niṣkṛti’ integrated like mural cartouche; strong red/yellow/green with black corridor motif.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical composition—central dark doorway encircled by a broken garland motif; floral borders become severed vines near the sinner; deep indigo ground with gold detailing used ironically to show the lost auspiciousness of dharma."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Darbari","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"grave","sound_elements":["single low bell strike","scribal scratching","echoing footsteps","wind through a corridor","long silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नानुमेनिरे = न + अनुमेनिरे; यात्यपुनर्भवम् = याति + अपुनर्भवम् (स्वर-सन्धि)
FAQs
It states that for this act they did not accept any expiation at all; the killing of a “twice-born” is presented as leading to an irreversible downfall.
“Dvijāti” literally means “twice-born,” commonly referring to the three varṇas who undergo the sacred-thread initiation (Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya).
The verse underscores the gravity of violence against spiritually and socially protected persons, presenting such harm as carrying severe, potentially irreversible karmic consequences.