Shloka 7
The Glory of Truthful Oaths and Keeping One’s Promise
Satya & Pratijñā
सत्येन शपथं कुर्याद्देवाग्निगुरुसन्निधौ । तावद्दहति वै गात्रं विष्णोर्वंशो न लुप्यते
satyena śapathaṃ kuryāddevāgnigurusannidhau | tāvaddahati vai gātraṃ viṣṇorvaṃśo na lupyate
దేవతలు, పవిత్ర అగ్ని, గురువు సన్నిధిలో సత్యంతోనే ప్రమాణం చేయాలి। సత్యం నిలిచినంతకాలం పాపం దేహాన్ని దహించదు; విష్ణువంశం నశించదు।
Unspecified (context-dependent within Brahma-khaṇḍa narrative)
Concept: Oaths must be grounded in satya and taken before sacred witnesses; truth protects the body from sin’s ‘burning’ and preserves the ‘Vishnu-lineage’ (Vaishnava dharmic continuity).
Application: Speak commitments only after reflection; keep accountability (mentor/guru, sacred reminders); treat truthfulness as daily worship that safeguards family culture and spiritual inheritance.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene yajña hall: the guru sits on a kusa mat, the sacred fire rises in steady flames, and a devotee stands with folded hands, speaking a truthful oath. Above the altar, a subtle Vishnu-emblem (śaṅkha-cakra) appears in luminous mist, signifying that truth preserves the Vaishnava lineage.","primary_figures":["guru (ācārya)","oath-taker (householder or disciple)","Agni","subtle devas as light-forms","Vishnu symbolically (śaṅkha-cakra aura)"],"setting":"Vedic ritual hall with fire-altar, samidhs, ladles, and seated witnesses","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit with calm fire-glow","color_palette":["saffron","ghee-gold","sandalwood beige","deep maroon","smoky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central Agni-kunda with gold leaf flames, guru with ornate seat and halo, devotee in añjali mudrā; śaṅkha-cakra motifs in the background, rich reds/greens, gem-studded ornaments on the guru’s staff and ritual vessels, symmetrical South Indian composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined yajña scene with delicate brushwork, soft firelight, gentle facial expressions; cool background with warm flame accents, minimal architecture, lyrical smoke forming śaṅkha-cakra shapes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, Agni in stylized red-yellow, guru and devotee with characteristic large eyes, patterned floor and pillars, Vishnu emblems as decorative aureole; natural pigment palette.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional didactic panel—fire-altar at center, border of repeating śaṅkha-cakra and lotus motifs, peacocks at corners; deep blue background with gold highlights, inscription band for satya-śapatha."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","steady fire crackle","low Vedic chanting undertone","conch at cadence end"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कुर्याद्देवाग्निगुरुसन्निधौ → कुर्यात् देव-अग्नि-गुरु-सन्निधौ; तावद्दहति → तावत् दहति; विष्णोर्वंशो → विष्णोः वंशः
FAQs
They represent sacred authority and moral accountability: the devas as cosmic witnesses, Agni as the ritual witness, and the guru as the living guide of dharma—making false oaths especially blameworthy.
Truthfulness is the foundation of dharma; one should not invoke sacred witnesses while speaking falsely, because untruth corrupts both personal integrity and social order.
It signals the preservation of a righteous, dharma-aligned family line devoted to Viṣṇu; truth supports continuity of virtue and spiritual heritage, whereas falsehood leads to decline and rupture.