Shloka 14
अग्नौ पार्णिं गृहीत्वा तु देवानामग्रतस्तथा । भविष्यामीति सत्य तु प्रतिश्रुत्य क्व तद् गतम्,'“अग्निके समीप और देवताओंके समक्ष मेरा हाथ पकड़कर और “मैं तेरा ही अनुगत होकर रहूँगा” ऐसी प्रतिज्ञा करके जिन्होंने मुझे अपनाया था, उनका वह सत्य कहाँ चला गया?”
agnau pārṇiṁ gṛhītvā tu devānām agratas tathā | bhaviṣyāmīti satyaṁ tu pratiśrutya kva tad gatam ||
Having taken my hand beside the sacred fire, and likewise in the presence of the gods, he pledged in truth, ‘I will remain yours, following you alone.’ Where has that truth gone now?
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
A promise made in the presence of sacred witnesses—fire and the gods—creates a binding moral obligation. Abandoning such a vow is not merely personal betrayal but a breach of satya (truth) and dharma.
Bṛhadaśva recalls a formal pledge: someone accepted the speaker by taking the hand near the ritual fire and before the gods, promising faithful adherence. The speaker now laments that the pledged truth has been abandoned.