Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 13

The Glory of Truthful Oaths and Keeping One’s Promise

Satya & Pratijñā

स्वयं तु मुनिशार्दूल निरयं चातिदारुणम् । उद्धारं कोटिपुरुषैर्मृतो याति न संशयः

svayaṃ tu muniśārdūla nirayaṃ cātidāruṇam | uddhāraṃ koṭipuruṣairmṛto yāti na saṃśayaḥ

しかし彼自身は、賢者の中の虎よ、きわめて凄惨なる地獄へ赴く。死後の救済は、無数(クロール)もの人々の尽力によってのみ得られる—疑いはない。

svayampersonally/oneself
svayam:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsvayam (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; reflexive adverb (स्वार्थे)
tuindeed/but
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; particle (निपात)
muni-śārdūlaO tiger among sages
muni-śārdūla:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootmuni (प्रातिपदिक) + śārdūla (प्रातिपदिक)
FormKarmadhāraya-samāsa; Masculine, Vocative (8th), Singular
nirayamhell
nirayam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootniraya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; conjunction
ati-dāruṇamextremely dreadful
ati-dāruṇam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootati (अव्यय) + dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormAvyayībhāva (ati-); Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; agrees with nirayam (as qualifier)
uddhāramdeliverance/rescue
uddhāram:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootuddhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular
koṭi-puruṣaiḥby crores of men
koṭi-puruṣaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootkoṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (संख्यापूर्वक/परिमाण-निर्देशक); Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural
mṛtaḥdead (having died)
mṛtaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Root√mṛ (धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; used adjectivally
yātigoes/attains
yāti:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√yā (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 3rd person, Singular; Parasmaipada
nano/not
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; negation
saṃśayaḥdoubt
saṃśayaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsaṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

Unspecified (context-dependent within Brahma-khaṇḍa dialogue)

Concept: Breach of pledged word leads to dreadful hell; liberation from that fate is extremely difficult, requiring vast intercession.

Application: Avoid casual oaths; if wrongdoing occurs, immediately seek correction—fulfill the promise, perform expiation, and adopt disciplined truthfulness to prevent severe karmic descent.

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Type: celestial_realm

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast, cavernous naraka opens beneath a fractured earth, with iron-red cliffs and rivers of smoke; the pledge-breaker falls downward as shadowy wardens of Yama stand like pillars of judgment. Far above, a tiny glimmer of rescue appears as countless human figures form a chain of uplift—suggesting ‘koṭi-puruṣa’ effort required for deliverance.","primary_figures":["the condemned pledge-breaker","Yama’s attendants (yamadūtas)","a distant compassionate assembly of rescuers (koṭi-puruṣa motif)","a sage addressed as ‘muniśārdūla’ (as listener figure)"],"setting":"Purāṇic hellscape with jagged rocks, smoky chasms, and a distant upper-world aperture.","lighting_mood":"ominous underglow with harsh contrasts","color_palette":["iron red","charcoal black","sulfur yellow","ashen gray","faint celestial white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic naraka tableau framed by ornate gold borders; yamadūtas with stylized weapons, the falling figure centered; gold leaf used sparingly as a distant upper-world halo of possible rescue; rich reds/blacks, high-contrast devotional moralism.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: narrative hellscape rendered with controlled detail—craggy forms, swirling smoke patterns, expressive fear; a small luminous opening above with tiny rescuers; cool-to-warm gradient palette, fine brushwork, restrained horror.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, intense red-black ground, stylized yamadūtas, exaggerated eyes conveying dread; rhythmic flames and smoke motifs; temple-wall didactic composition with clear figure hierarchy.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical rather than graphic—dark lotus petals curling downward into a chasm, central figure descending; border of withered floral motifs contrasted with a small ring of bright lotuses above symbolizing rescue; deep blues and blacks with gold highlights."}

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["thunder-like drum","conch blast","metallic clang","sudden silence at end"]}

Sandhi Resolution Notes: cātidāruṇam → ca + ati-dāruṇam; koṭipuruṣairmṛto → koṭi-puruṣaiḥ + mṛtaḥ.

FAQs

It stresses the severity of certain actions: the doer falls into a dreadful hell, and release afterward is portrayed as extremely difficult—requiring vast collective effort.

“Muniśārdūla” is an honorific meaning “tiger among sages,” used to address an eminent sage and to emphasize the seriousness of the instruction.

Actions have weighty consequences; one should avoid grave wrongdoing because remediation and liberation may be depicted as extraordinarily hard after death.