Shloka 10
The Glory of Truthful Oaths and Keeping One’s Promise
Satya & Pratijñā
कदाचिज्जन्म संप्राप्य कुष्ठी च प्रतिजन्मनि । सत्येनैवं भवेद्विप्र अनृते वै किमुच्यते
kadācijjanma saṃprāpya kuṣṭhī ca pratijanmani | satyenaivaṃ bhavedvipra anṛte vai kimucyate
แม้จะได้เกิดเป็นมนุษย์เพียงบางคราว แต่ในทุกชาติกลับเป็นโรคเรื้อน โอ้พราหมณ์ หากแม้ความสัตย์ยังให้ผลเช่นนี้ แล้วความเท็จจะกล่าวอย่างไรได้เล่า
Unspecified (context needed from surrounding verses; addressed to a vipra/brāhmaṇa)
Concept: Human birth is rare; truthfulness is a stringent dharma, and falsehood carries even heavier karmic repercussions.
Application: Treat speech as a vow: avoid exaggeration, deceit, and broken promises; practice truthful, beneficial, and timely speech, especially in commitments involving others’ trust.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lone brāhmaṇa stands at a crossroads of light and shadow, a lotus of human birth hovering above his head like a rare boon. On one side, a radiant path marked ‘satya’ is narrow and steep; on the other, ‘anṛta’ opens into a misty chasm where karmic afflictions loom as spectral forms, hinting at repeated suffering.","primary_figures":["a contemplative brāhmaṇa (vipra)","personified Satya (as a luminous figure)","shadowy personification of Anṛta","subtle presence of Dharma (as a scale or staff)"],"setting":"Symbolic moral landscape with a lotus motif (padma) and a faint cosmic backdrop suggesting saṃsāra’s cycles.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance fading into ominous twilight","color_palette":["lotus pink","saffron gold","ash gray","indigo dusk","pearl white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a brāhmaṇa at a lotus-embellished crossroads, Satya as a golden-haloed figure holding a palm-leaf of vows, Anṛta as a dark veiled silhouette near a yawning chasm; heavy gold leaf on halos and lotus borders, rich vermilion and emerald accents, gem-studded ornaments, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate hillside-like moral landscape with a narrow luminous path and a shadowed ravine; refined faces, soft gradients, lotus motifs in the sky, subtle saṃsāra wheel in the distance; cool blues and pinks with lyrical naturalism and fine linework.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, a central vipra with expressive eyes, Satya rendered in warm yellow-red aura, Anṛta in deep indigo-black; lotus border bands, flat temple-wall composition using natural pigments and rhythmic ornamentation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: large central lotus symbolizing rare human birth, surrounding floral borders; allegorical Satya path depicted with white lotuses and gold vines, Anṛta side with withered petals; deep blue ground, intricate gold detailing, devotional textile symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant conch","silence between pādas","soft drone (tanpura)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kadācijjanma → kadācit + janma; satyenaivaṃ → satyena + evam; bhavedvipra → bhavet + vipra.
FAQs
It underscores the gravity of untruth (anṛta) by contrasting it with truthfulness (satya), implying that falsehood leads to even worse karmic outcomes.
It uses a vivid karmic image (leprosy recurring in successive births) to stress that actions—especially speech-ethics—can have long-lasting consequences beyond a single lifetime.
“Vipra” is a respectful address to a brāhmaṇa; the exact speaker-listener pair is not explicit in this single verse and should be confirmed from the surrounding passage.