Shloka 68
Dharmāṅgada’s Discourse (Dharmāṅgadopadeśa) in the Mohinī Episode
प्रसीद राजेंद्र कुरुष्व वाक्यं मयेरितं चात्मवधाय सत्यम् । विमोचयेथा नृपते सुघोराद्वाक्यानृतान्मोहिनिहस्तयोगात् ॥ ६८ ॥
prasīda rājeṃdra kuruṣva vākyaṃ mayeritaṃ cātmavadhāya satyam | vimocayethā nṛpate sughorādvākyānṛtānmohinihastayogāt || 68 ||
Be gracious, O lord of kings; carry out the word spoken by me—true even though it leads to my own death. O king, thereby you will be freed from the most dreadful bondage: falsehood in speech, brought about through delusion and the compulsion of another’s hand.
Unspecified (dialogue verse: a speaker addressing a king within the Adhyaya narrative)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
The verse elevates satya (truth) as a liberating dharma: even when truth is personally costly, adherence to it frees one from the terrifying bondage of anṛta (falsehood) born of moha (delusion) and coercive action.
Bhakti is grounded in inner integrity; truthful speech and fearless dharmic action purify the heart, making devotion stable and fit for grace—contrasting delusion-driven, coerced wrongdoing.
Vyākaraṇa and disciplined vāk (speech) are implicitly emphasized: vākya (utterance) must align with satya, and one should avoid vākya-anṛta—speech that violates dharma and produces pāpa.