Shloka 13
Vaitaraṇī: Torments of the Sinful, Sins Enumerated, and the Vaitaraṇī Go-dāna Rite
ब्राह्मणाय प्रतीश्रुत्य यमार्थं न ददाति तम् / आहूय नास्ति यो ब्रूयात्तस्य वासस्तु तत्र वै
brāhmaṇāya pratīśrutya yamārthaṃ na dadāti tam / āhūya nāsti yo brūyāttasya vāsastu tatra vai
Wer einem Brahmanen eine Gabe zusagt und das Versprochene nicht gibt; und wer, nachdem er jemanden gerufen hat, trügerisch sagt: „Er ist nicht hier“—für einen solchen gibt es wahrlich dort eine Bleibe, im vergeltenden Reich Yamas.
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Satya (truthfulness) and honoring promises—especially to brāhmaṇas—are binding; deceit and promise-breaking generate papa.
Vedantic Theme: Vāk-śuddhi and karma: speech as action with consequences; adharma strengthens bondage.
Application: Keep commitments; if unable, communicate honestly and make amends; avoid manipulative lying and evasions.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: yamaloka domain
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: repeated condemnation of asatya, dāna-viṣaya-doṣa, and brāhmaṇa-droha
FAQs
This verse treats a pledged gift to a Brāhmaṇa as a dharmic obligation; breaking it becomes a punishable deceit that leads to suffering under Yama’s jurisdiction.
It lists specific acts of dishonesty—reneging on a promised gift and misleading speech—as causes for being assigned an abode in Yama’s punitive realms, reflecting karmic accountability after death.
Avoid making vows you cannot fulfill, honor committed donations, and do not use lies or evasions to mislead others—truthful speech and reliability are presented as protections against harmful karma.