Shloka 21
The Description of Kāśī (Kāśī-māhātmya): Avimukta, Kapālamocana, and Śiva’s Purification
यस्त्वं सर्वस्य लोकस्य गुरुर्धर्मोपदेशकः । ब्रह्महत्याभिभूतस्तु क्षणं स्थातुं न च क्षमः ॥ २१ ॥
yastvaṃ sarvasya lokasya gururdharmopadeśakaḥ | brahmahatyābhibhūtastu kṣaṇaṃ sthātuṃ na ca kṣamaḥ || 21 ||
Ngài là bậc thầy của toàn thế gian, là người chỉ dạy Dharma; thế nhưng bị tội sát hại Bà-la-môn áp đảo, Ngài không thể đứng vững dù chỉ trong một sát-na.
Unspecified (a speaker addressing a revered guru; dialogue context not fully provided in the single verse)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It highlights the crushing psychological and karmic weight of a mahāpātaka (grave sin) like brahmahatyā, showing that even a respected Dharma-teacher can be destabilized until purification and atonement restore inner steadiness.
By contrasting outward authority (being a guru) with inward affliction (overpowered by sin), the verse implicitly points to the need for sincere purification—often completed in Purāṇic narratives through surrender, remembrance of Hari, and disciplined dharmic practice rather than mere status.
The verse primarily reflects Dharmaśāstra-style reasoning about mahāpātaka and prāyaścitta (expiation). It does not directly teach a specific Vedāṅga technique, but it supports the applied discipline of ritual/legal Dharma used to diagnose sin and prescribe purification.