Varaha Purana 201.18: Adhyaya 201, Shloka 18
The Battle between the Rākṣasas and Yama’s Attendant-Messengers
मा च मिथ्या प्रतिज्ञातं धर्मिष्ठस्य भवत्विति ॥ अस्माकं विग्रहे वीर मुच्यन्तां यदि मन्यसे ॥
mā ca mithyā pratijñātaṃ dharmiṣṭhasya bhavatv iti || asmākaṃ vigrahe vīra mucyantāṃ yadi manyase ||
ధర్మిష్ఠునికి తగిన నీ ప్రతిజ్ఞ మిథ్యగా కాకూడదు. హే వీరా, నీవు సముచితమని భావిస్తే మా యుద్ధంలో వారిని విముక్తులను చేయుము.
Rākṣasas
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer","key_question":"Will you, famed as dharmiṣṭha, keep your promise truthful—by releasing them in this conflict if you deem it right?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"A righteous person must not let a pledged word become false; truthfulness in vow/pledge is a binding dharma even amid conflict.","karmic_consequence":"Keeping satya preserves dharma and honor (kīrti) and avoids the demerit of vow-breaking; breaking a promise incurs pāpa and loss of righteous standing."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma of satya and vrata-like pledge","core_concept":"Satya (truth to one’s word) is presented as constitutive of dharmiṣṭhatā; even enemies invoke it as a moral constraint on the hero.","practical_application":"Before making commitments, weigh consequences; once pledged, uphold truth or perform rectification rather than rationalize breach."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Conflict Resolution","Vows/Truthfulness"]
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Related Themes: Varaha Purana 201.17-18 (their prior justification)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A rakshasa envoy addresses a warrior-hero, palms open in appeal, invoking the sanctity of a promise while weapons glint nearby.","item_prompts":["envoy posture of supplication/argument","hero with weapon lowered slightly","battlefield edge","visual motif of a tied knot/scroll symbolizing vow"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, intense eyes, contrasting calm vow-appeal gesture against martial backdrop, stylized weaponry and ornaments.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-leaf emphasis on hero’s aura and weapon, vow-scroll motif, rich textile patterns.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, delicate shading, expressive hands, restrained battlefield elements, focus on ethical tension.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari, intimate dialogue scene, minimal props, strong facial expression, symbolic knot motif."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn, oath-invoking","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"grave, insistent"}
FAQs
It highlights the cultural importance of pratijñā (pledge/vow) and the reputational weight of being dharmiṣṭha, themes widely attested across Dharmaśāstra and Itihāsa-Purāṇa literature.
No geographic location is mentioned in this verse.
Maintaining truth in one’s pledge is presented as an ethical standard; the verse also gestures toward restraint or release as a morally preferable choice within conflict.
Ask anything about this verse
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