Shloka 18
Brahmā’s Discourse to Mohinī
Harivāsara, Desire, and the Satya-Test of Rukmāṅgada
वृद्धो वापि युवा वापि न पादौ धावयेद्वधूम् । उभयोः पतनं प्रोक्तं रौरवेऽङ्गारसंचये ॥ १८ ॥
vṛddho vāpi yuvā vāpi na pādau dhāvayedvadhūm | ubhayoḥ patanaṃ proktaṃ raurave'ṅgārasaṃcaye || 18 ||
Whether an old man or a young man, one should not make a bride wash one's feet. It is declared that both fall (into sin), and in the Raurava hell there is a heap of burning embers as their lot.
Narada (teaching dharma-nīti in Uttara-Bhaga context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It frames compassion and proper conduct in marriage as dharma: causing a bride to run on foot is treated as cruelty, producing karmic downfall for both and leading to painful afterlife consequences.
Bhakti in the Purāṇic sense is inseparable from dharmic behavior; honoring and protecting others—especially within marriage—supports purity (śuddhi) that sustains Vishnu-bhakti, while cruelty obstructs spiritual progress.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught here; the verse is primarily nīti-dharma, giving a practical ethical rule for household life and marriage conduct.