Shloka 8
The Glory of Truthful Oaths and Keeping One’s Promise
Satya & Pratijñā
मिथ्यायां शपथे विप्र किमहं वच्मि सांप्रतम् । शतमन्वंतरं विप्र निरयं मिथ्यया किमु
mithyāyāṃ śapathe vipra kimahaṃ vacmi sāṃpratam | śatamanvaṃtaraṃ vipra nirayaṃ mithyayā kimu
Wahai brāhmaṇa, jika seseorang bersumpah palsu, apa lagi yang dapat kukatakan sekarang? Wahai brāhmaṇa, kerana dusta, selama seratus manvantara, apakah yang menanti selain neraka?
Unspecified (context needed to identify the dialogue speaker reliably)
Concept: False oaths (mithyā-śapatha) inexorably lead to naraka for immense durations; speech is a sacred instrument and must not be weaponized by untruth.
Application: Avoid exaggeration and convenient lies; in legal/financial/relational commitments, speak only what you can uphold; cultivate daily satya-vrata (truth discipline).
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned brāhmaṇa stands at a crossroads of light and shadow, mouth half-open as if about to utter a lie; behind him, the shadow road descends into a cavern marked by Yama’s noose. In the sky, a luminous script of ‘satya’ glows like a protective mantra, while ‘mithyā’ appears as cracked, dark letters falling away.","primary_figures":["brāhmaṇa addressed as vipra","Yama (symbolic, distant)","personified Vāc (optional, as a radiant feminine form)"],"setting":"Symbolic crossroads near a ritual precinct, blending earthly path with metaphysical descent","lighting_mood":"high-contrast divine radiance vs. ominous shadow","color_palette":["ivory white","ink black","copper red","austerity gray","radiant gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central vipra figure with expressive face, gold leaf mantra ‘satya’ in the sky, darkened lower panel showing Yama’s realm with stylized noose; ornate borders, rich crimson and green, gem-like highlights on sacred syllables.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical crossroads landscape, delicate calligraphic ‘satya’ as glowing cloud-text, subtle Yama silhouette in a dark ravine; cool blues and grays with warm gold accents, refined emotional nuance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, symbolic typography-like motifs for satya/mithyā, Yama in dark tones with red accents, vipra in pale garments; temple mural geometry and patterned bands.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: didactic textile—central figure at crossroads, border of repeating mantra panels, lotus medallions framing ‘satya’; deep indigo field with gold and white detailing, narrative vignettes of truth vs falsehood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp bell strikes","conch punctuation","low drum pulse","sudden silence after 'nirayam'"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: किमहं → किम् अहम्; शतमन्वंतरं → शतम् अन्वन्तरम्; किमु → किम् उ
FAQs
It warns that taking a false oath (lying under oath) is a grave sin, leading to hellish consequences over vast cosmic time.
It is a hyperbolic, cosmological measure emphasizing the extreme duration and severity of the karmic consequence for false swearing.
Truthfulness—especially in testimony and vows—is central to dharma; violating it through false oaths is portrayed as among the most destructive moral failures.