Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4
ततो रामश्चिरात्स्मृत्वा तां प्रतिज्ञां स्वयं कृताम् । वधार्थं संप्रविष्टस्य समीपे पुरुषस्य च
tato rāmaścirātsmṛtvā tāṃ pratijñāṃ svayaṃ kṛtām | vadhārthaṃ saṃpraviṣṭasya samīpe puruṣasya ca
Then Rāma, after some time, remembered the vow he had made himself: that whoever entered his presence with the intent to be slain would surely be put to death.
Sūta (narrative voice implied)
Scene: Rāma pauses, recollection dawning; the atmosphere tightens as the remembered vow—about slaying one who enters seeking death—casts a shadow over the scene.
FAQs
A vow binds even the righteous; dharma is shown as exacting, demanding accountability for one’s spoken word.
The ethical narrative unfolds within the Tīrthamāhātmya’s sacred-place frame, reinforcing that holy places test and refine dharma.
None directly; the verse centers on the binding nature of a vowed rule regarding entry into the king’s presence.
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