Shloka 10
The Glory of Truthful Oaths and Keeping One’s Promise
Satya & Pratijñā
कदाचिज्जन्म संप्राप्य कुष्ठी च प्रतिजन्मनि । सत्येनैवं भवेद्विप्र अनृते वै किमुच्यते
kadācijjanma saṃprāpya kuṣṭhī ca pratijanmani | satyenaivaṃ bhavedvipra anṛte vai kimucyate
Walau hanya sesekali memperoleh kelahiran sebagai manusia, seseorang ditimpa penyakit kusta pada setiap kelahiran. Wahai brāhmaṇa, jika demikian akibatnya bahkan dengan kebenaran, maka apa lagi yang dapat dikatakan tentang dusta?
Unspecified (context needed from surrounding verses; addressed to a vipra/brāhmaṇa)
Concept: Human birth is rare; truthfulness is a stringent dharma, and falsehood carries even heavier karmic repercussions.
Application: Treat speech as a vow: avoid exaggeration, deceit, and broken promises; practice truthful, beneficial, and timely speech, especially in commitments involving others’ trust.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lone brāhmaṇa stands at a crossroads of light and shadow, a lotus of human birth hovering above his head like a rare boon. On one side, a radiant path marked ‘satya’ is narrow and steep; on the other, ‘anṛta’ opens into a misty chasm where karmic afflictions loom as spectral forms, hinting at repeated suffering.","primary_figures":["a contemplative brāhmaṇa (vipra)","personified Satya (as a luminous figure)","shadowy personification of Anṛta","subtle presence of Dharma (as a scale or staff)"],"setting":"Symbolic moral landscape with a lotus motif (padma) and a faint cosmic backdrop suggesting saṃsāra’s cycles.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance fading into ominous twilight","color_palette":["lotus pink","saffron gold","ash gray","indigo dusk","pearl white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a brāhmaṇa at a lotus-embellished crossroads, Satya as a golden-haloed figure holding a palm-leaf of vows, Anṛta as a dark veiled silhouette near a yawning chasm; heavy gold leaf on halos and lotus borders, rich vermilion and emerald accents, gem-studded ornaments, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate hillside-like moral landscape with a narrow luminous path and a shadowed ravine; refined faces, soft gradients, lotus motifs in the sky, subtle saṃsāra wheel in the distance; cool blues and pinks with lyrical naturalism and fine linework.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, a central vipra with expressive eyes, Satya rendered in warm yellow-red aura, Anṛta in deep indigo-black; lotus border bands, flat temple-wall composition using natural pigments and rhythmic ornamentation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: large central lotus symbolizing rare human birth, surrounding floral borders; allegorical Satya path depicted with white lotuses and gold vines, Anṛta side with withered petals; deep blue ground, intricate gold detailing, devotional textile symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant conch","silence between pādas","soft drone (tanpura)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kadācijjanma → kadācit + janma; satyenaivaṃ → satyena + evam; bhavedvipra → bhavet + vipra.
FAQs
It underscores the gravity of untruth (anṛta) by contrasting it with truthfulness (satya), implying that falsehood leads to even worse karmic outcomes.
It uses a vivid karmic image (leprosy recurring in successive births) to stress that actions—especially speech-ethics—can have long-lasting consequences beyond a single lifetime.
“Vipra” is a respectful address to a brāhmaṇa; the exact speaker-listener pair is not explicit in this single verse and should be confirmed from the surrounding passage.