Shloka 24
Dharma of the Renunciant: Alms Discipline, Meditation, and Expiations
न धर्मयुक्तमनृतं हिनस्तीति मनीषिणः । तथापि च न कर्तव्यः प्रसंगो ह्येष दारुणः
na dharmayuktamanṛtaṃ hinastīti manīṣiṇaḥ | tathāpi ca na kartavyaḥ prasaṃgo hyeṣa dāruṇaḥ
Orang bijaksana berkata bahawa ketidakbenaran yang selaras dengan dharma tidak mendatangkan mudarat. Namun begitu, janganlah diamalkan, kerana keterikatan ini adalah jerat yang amat berbahaya.
Uncertain (context not provided in the single-verse input; commonly transmitted as a general admonition within the narrative dialogue)
Concept: Even ‘dharma-aligned’ untruth is a dangerous exception; avoid cultivating the habit of falsehood.
Application: Do not rationalize small lies as ‘for a good cause’; choose truthful, non-harmful speech or silence; consult conscience and śāstra before exceptions.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A quiet hermitage court where a senior ṛṣi instructs a younger seeker: between them lies a palm-leaf manuscript and a small oil lamp. In the background, a lotus pond reflects the sky, suggesting the subtle line between dharma and expedient untruth, while a faint shadowy knot motif symbolizes ‘perilous entanglement’.","primary_figures":["elder rishi-teacher","young ascetic-disciple"],"setting":"forest āśrama veranda beside a lotus pond, manuscripts and kusa grass seat, distant temple spire barely visible","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp-gold","lotus pink","deep indigo","sandalwood beige","forest green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: an elder rishi seated on a carved wooden pīṭha instructing a young ascetic, palm-leaf grantha open, a small brass lamp glowing; lotus pond behind with stylized padma blooms; gold leaf embellishment on the lamp flame, manuscript edges, and halo-like aura around the teacher; rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments minimal and austere, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a serene Himalayan-foothill āśrama scene with delicate brushwork; the guru gestures gently toward a manuscript while the disciple listens; cool blues and greens, lotus pond with fine ripples, refined facial features, lyrical naturalism, distant mountains and a thin stream; a subtle knot motif painted in the border to suggest ‘prasaṅga’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; the rishi-teacher with large expressive eyes and ochre skin tones, seated near a brass nilavilakku; lotus pond and stylized foliage; red/yellow/green palette with restrained ornamentation; temple-wall aesthetic emphasizing moral gravity and calm authority.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic composition with lotus motifs and ornate floral borders; central vignette of a sage teaching satya-dharma, with a small Vishnu-padma emblem above to imply Vaiṣṇava grounding; deep blues and gold accents, peacocks at the pond edge, intricate border patterns suggesting the ‘entanglement’ of untruth."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","night insects","gentle lamp crackle","distant flowing water","silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dharmayuktam + anṛtam → dharmayuktamanṛtam; hinasti + iti → hinastīti; hi + eṣa → hyeṣa
FAQs
It acknowledges a traditional view that a dharma-aligned untruth may be non-injurious, but it immediately warns against making it a practice, calling such involvement dangerous.
Discernment: even when a morally complex exception is discussed, one should avoid normalizing falsehood, because it easily becomes a harmful habit or rationalization.
Svarga-khaṇḍa frequently frames conduct as the cause of higher worlds; this verse stresses that ethical shortcuts (even seemingly justified ones) can degrade character and lead to moral downfall.