Shloka 9
The Glory of Truthful Oaths and Keeping One’s Promise
Satya & Pratijñā
निर्माल्यं श्रीहरेः स्पृष्ट्वा सत्येन मुनिपुंगव । गृहीत्वा पुरुषान्सप्त पच्यते निरये चिरम्
nirmālyaṃ śrīhareḥ spṛṣṭvā satyena munipuṃgava | gṛhītvā puruṣānsapta pacyate niraye ciram
ఓ సత్యేన, మునిపుంగవా! శ్రీహరి నిర్మాల్యాన్ని తాకి దానిని తీసుకెళ్లినవాడు, ఏడు మందిని కూడా పతనానికి గురిచేసి, దీర్ఘకాలం నరకంలో బాధపడతాడు।
Unspecified narrator within the chapter (addressing the sage Satyena)
Concept: Aparādha in worship—touching and illicitly taking Hari’s nirmālya—creates severe naraka-phala and harms others (dragging down seven persons), showing sin’s social contagion.
Application: Respect temple protocols; never steal or appropriate offerings; accept only authorized prasāda; cultivate cleanliness (śauca) and humility in worship spaces.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a Vishnu temple corridor, a fearful figure reaches toward a heap of removed garlands and wilted tulasi leaves near the sanctum threshold, while unseen guardians and the deity’s aura seem to recoil. Seven shadow-figures—representing those dragged down—are tethered by dark cords to the offender, and beyond the doorway a vision of naraka flickers like a warning mirage.","primary_figures":["Vishnu (as sanctum presence or aura)","offender taking nirmālya","temple priest/guardian (optional)","seven shadow-linked figures (symbolic)"],"setting":"Temple prakāra near the garbhagṛha, with offering baskets, lamps, and threshold markings","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit with ominous divine glare","color_palette":["deep indigo","lamp gold","garland green","wilted brown","vermilion red"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Vishnu’s sanctum door with gold leaf arch, lamps and ornate pillars; offender depicted reaching for nirmālya heap, seven shadow figures linked by dark cords; rich reds/greens, heavy gold embellishment on temple architecture, gem-studded ornaments on Vishnu’s symbols, strong moral tableau.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate temple interior with delicate lamps, subtle expressions of guilt and alarm; garlands rendered with fine botanical detail, seven faint silhouettes trailing behind; cool shadows and warm lamp pools, refined narrative clarity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized temple doorway, Vishnu aura as circular prabhā, offender in dynamic pose, seven linked figures as simplified forms; red-yellow-green palette with black contouring, mural-like didactic emphasis.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: temple-themed pichwai—central sanctum with Vishnu symbols, border of lotus and tulasi motifs; narrative side panels showing proper prasāda reception vs. nirmālya theft; deep blue field with gold and vermilion highlights, intricate floral borders."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","whispered crowd hush","lamp crackle","single conch blast at the warning"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुरुषान्सप्त → पुरुषान् सप्त
FAQs
Nirmālya refers to offerings that have been used in worship and then discarded—such as wilted flowers, garlands, or other remnants associated with the deity’s worship.
It stresses reverence for sacred worship materials and warns against treating what is connected with Viṣṇu’s worship as ordinary property to be taken or misused.
The verse uses a traditional Purāṇic motif that a grave act can bring harm not only to the doer but also to others connected with him (family/associates), highlighting the social ripple-effect of adharma.