Adhyaya 74 — King Svarashtra, the Deer-Queen’s Curse, and the Rise of Tamasa Manu
न भवत्यन्यथा प्रोक्तं मम वाक्यं कदाचन ।
मृगी भविष्यसि मृता वनेऽस्मिन्नेव जन्मनि ॥
na bhavaty anyathā proktaṃ mama vākyaṃ kadācana / mṛgī bhaviṣyasi mṛtā vane 'sminn eva janmani //
“Kata-kataku tidak pernah menjadi selain daripada yang telah diucapkan. Engkau akan menjadi seekor rusa betina dan mati di rimba ini juga, dalam hayat ini juga.”
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The verse asserts the doctrine-like motif of ‘inerrant ascetic speech,’ functioning narratively as a law of consequence. Ethically, it warns that words spoken with concentrated will (especially by the powerful) carry binding outcomes, hence the imperative of restraint and compassion.
Didactic narrative within the Purāṇa’s broader instruction; not a direct pancalakṣaṇa category, though it supports dharma teaching often embedded in vaṃśānucarita/story cycles.
‘My word never becomes otherwise’ is a shadow-form of satya-saṅkalpa (truth-intent). When severed from sattva (clarity/compassion), such power becomes a binding force that accelerates descent into lower embodiment.