Shloka 43
Diti’s Puṁsavana Vow, Indra’s Intervention, and the Birth of the Maruts
प्रतिश्रुतं ददामीति वचस्तन्न मृषा भवेत् । वधं नार्हति चेन्द्रोऽपि तत्रेदमुपकल्पते ॥ ४३ ॥
pratiśrutaṁ dadāmīti vacas tan na mṛṣā bhavet vadhaṁ nārhati cendro ’pi tatredam upakalpate
ഒരു വരം നൽകാമെന്ന് ഞാൻ വാഗ്ദാനം ചെയ്തിട്ടുണ്ട്, ആ വാക്ക് ലംഘിക്കാൻ കഴിയില്ല, എന്നാൽ ഇന്ദ്രൻ വധിക്കപ്പെടാൻ അർഹനല്ല. ഈ സാഹചര്യത്തിൽ, എനിക്കുള്ള പരിഹారం തികച്ചും അനുയോജ്യമാണ്.
Kaśyapa Muni concluded, “Diti is eager to have a son who can kill Indra, since she is a woman, after all, and is not very intelligent. I shall train her in such a way that instead of always thinking of how to kill Indra, she will become a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. If she agrees to follow the rules and regulations of the Vaiṣṇava principles, the unclean core of her heart will certainly be cleansed.” Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. This is the process of devotional service. Anyone can be purified by following the principles of devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so powerful that it can purify even the dirtiest class of men and transform them into the topmost Vaiṣṇavas. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement aims at this purpose. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says:
FAQs
This verse shows that a vowed word should not be made false—truthfulness is a core dharmic principle even amid intense circumstances.
Although Diti had vowed to obtain a boon, she also recognized the impropriety of killing Indra; she sought a solution that upheld her promise without committing unjust violence.
Keep commitments sincerely, but pursue outcomes through ethical means—seek solutions that honor your word without harming others.