त्वयोक्तं शपथैर्भद्रे आगमिष्याम्यहं पुनः । तेन मे कौतुकं जातं किमेषा प्रकरिष्यति
tvayoktaṃ śapathairbhadre āgamiṣyāmyahaṃ punaḥ | tena me kautukaṃ jātaṃ kimeṣā prakariṣyati
“Wahai wanita mulia, engkau telah menyatakan dengan sumpah: ‘Aku akan datang kembali.’ Maka timbullah kehairananku: apakah yang akan dia lakukan sebenarnya?”
Vyāghra (the tiger)
Type: kshetra
Scene: The tiger reflects aloud: her oath to return sparked his curiosity; the moment is contemplative—predator as examiner, woman as steadfast practitioner of satya.
A vow tests integrity; the narrative shows that dharma can awaken even in observers through witnessing truth kept under pressure.
The verse belongs to the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya story-cycle; the tīrtha’s greatness is implied through the dharmic miracle of character transformation.
The emphasis is on śapatha (solemn oath) as a binding dharmic commitment, not on a formal rite.