Shloka 58
The Greatness of the Month of Māgha
Māgha-snāna, Harivāsara, and the Kāṣṭhīlā-Upākhyāna
अग्न्यादिसाक्ष्ये वृतमीक्ष्य निष्ठुरा युक्तं सुधोरैर्व्यसनैर्द्विजात्मजा । पतिं ददौ नैव च याचिता धनं तेनैव पापेन बभूव कीटा ॥ ५८ ॥
agnyādisākṣye vṛtamīkṣya niṣṭhurā yuktaṃ sudhorairvyasanairdvijātmajā | patiṃ dadau naiva ca yācitā dhanaṃ tenaiva pāpena babhūva kīṭā || 58 ||
Melihat nazar itu diteguhkan di hadapan Agni dan para saksi lainnya, putri brahmana yang berhati keras—meski terikat oleh kesengsaraan berat—tidak memberikan harta kepada suaminya walau diminta. Oleh dosa itu juga ia menjadi seekor cacing.
Narrator (Purāṇic discourse tradition; likely Sanatkumāra instructing Nārada in the Uttara-bhāga narrative flow)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It stresses karma-phala: when a vow is taken with sacred witnesses (Agni and others), violating its ethical demand—especially through hardness of heart—produces a degrading rebirth, here symbolized as becoming a worm.
Bhakti in the Purāṇic sense includes compassion, truthfulness, and keeping sacred commitments; this verse shows that devotion is undermined by cruelty and adharma, which lead to spiritual downfall rather than divine grace.
It reflects the ritual principle (Kalpa/Smṛti-aligned practice) that vows and solemn pledges are validated through sacred witnesses like Agni; once ritually affirmed, they carry binding dharmic force and serious karmic consequences if violated.