Shloka 61
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
लोके विप्रसमो नास्ति पूजनीयो जगद्गुरुः । हत्वा तं यद्भवेत्पापं तत्परं च न विद्यते
loke viprasamo nāsti pūjanīyo jagadguruḥ | hatvā taṃ yadbhavetpāpaṃ tatparaṃ ca na vidyate
دنیا میں برہمن کے برابر کوئی نہیں؛ وہ جگت گرو کی طرح قابلِ تعظیم ہے۔ اسے قتل کرنے سے جو گناہ پیدا ہوتا ہے، اس سے بڑا کوئی گناہ نہیں۔
Not specified in the provided excerpt (context-dependent within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa 48).
Concept: The brāhmaṇa, as bearer of sacred knowledge and teacher, is uniquely venerable; brahma-hatyā (killing a brāhmaṇa) is portrayed as the greatest sin.
Application: Cultivate respect for teachers and ethical exemplars; protect learning and spiritual institutions; avoid contempt, exploitation, or harm toward those dedicated to knowledge and service; practice humility in learning.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene teaching scene: a brāhmaṇa-guru sits on a kusa-grass seat, radiating quiet authority, while kings, householders, and even celestial beings bow with folded hands. Above, a subtle cosmic mandala suggests the ‘three worlds’ listening to dharma, and the air feels charged with sanctity and warning against sacrilege.","primary_figures":["Brāhmaṇa guru (jagad-guru archetype)","Kings and ministers","Householders","Devas (symbolic)"],"setting":"Hermitage classroom under a banyan tree with a small fire altar, manuscripts, and a water pot; distant suggestion of a palace and a celestial canopy to show universal reverence.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["lotus pink","saffron gold","leaf green","ivory","sky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central brāhmaṇa-ācārya with gold leaf halo seated on a kusa mat, holding a palm-leaf manuscript; surrounding figures—king with crown, devotees, and small celestial attendants—offer añjali; rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments on royal figures, embossed gold borders, sacred fire altar with gold highlights, devotional symmetry emphasizing reverence.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tranquil āśrama under a banyan, delicate faces showing humility, soft morning light, cool blues and greens with saffron accents; the guru’s presence is calm and luminous, with refined linework on manuscripts and sacred thread, lyrical naturalism and floral border.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic guru figure with large eyes and bold outlines, flat pigments in red/yellow/green; rows of bowing figures including a stylized king; a simple mandala-like aura behind the guru, temple-wall narrative clarity and solemnity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central guru seated beneath a lotus canopy, surrounded by concentric rings of devotees and symbolic celestial beings; intricate floral borders, lotus motifs, deep blue background with gold highlights; subtle inclusion of conch and chakra motifs to hint that honoring the guru aligns with Hari’s order."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft temple bells","birds at dawn","gentle fire crackle"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: न + अस्ति → नास्ति; जगत् + गुरुः → जगद्गुरुः; यत् + भवेत् + पापम् → यद्भवेत्पापम्; तत् + परम् → तत्परम्.
FAQs
It teaches that a brāhmaṇa is to be treated as highly venerable, and that violence against such a person—especially killing—is described as an unsurpassed moral transgression.
It reinforces ahimsa (non-violence) and the protection of social-spiritual teachers, framing harm to them as a grave adharma with severe karmic consequences.
No. The verse is ethical and social-dharmic in focus, emphasizing reverence and the gravity of violence rather than pilgrimage sites or geography.