The Account of Kāṣṭhīlā (Kāṣṭhīlā-ākhyāna) within the Mohinī Narrative
या गतिर्ब्रह्महत्यायां कुत्सिता प्राप्यते नरैः । तां गतिं हि प्रपद्येऽहं यद्येतदनृतं भवेत् ॥ १२२ ॥
yā gatirbrahmahatyāyāṃ kutsitā prāpyate naraiḥ | tāṃ gatiṃ hi prapadye'haṃ yadyetadanṛtaṃ bhavet || 122 ||
Jika apa yang aku katakan terbukti palsu, maka biarlah aku jatuh ke dalam nasib hina yang menimpa manusia akibat membunuh seorang Brahmin.
Narada (asserting truthfulness as an oath-like declaration within the Uttara-Bhaga narrative)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
The verse functions as a solemn truth-pledge: the speaker stakes his own spiritual fate on the veracity of his statement, highlighting satya (truthfulness) as a core pillar of dharma and as a safeguard against moral and karmic downfall.
While not directly describing bhakti practices, it reinforces the ethical foundation required for devotional life—truthful speech and integrity—without which pilgrimage, vows, and worship lose their purifying power.
It indirectly reflects Vyakarana/semantic precision and Dharmashastra-style reasoning: speech (vāk) must align with truth, and falsehood is treated as a spiritually consequential act, framed through the strongest karmic benchmark (brahmahatyā).