Shloka 24
Dharma of the Renunciant: Alms Discipline, Meditation, and Expiations
न धर्मयुक्तमनृतं हिनस्तीति मनीषिणः । तथापि च न कर्तव्यः प्रसंगो ह्येष दारुणः
na dharmayuktamanṛtaṃ hinastīti manīṣiṇaḥ | tathāpi ca na kartavyaḥ prasaṃgo hyeṣa dāruṇaḥ
บัณฑิตกล่าวว่า ความไม่จริงที่สอดคล้องกับธรรมะย่อมไม่ก่อโทษ ถึงกระนั้นก็ไม่ควรทำให้เป็นเรื่องคุ้นชิน เพราะความพัวพันนี้เป็นบ่วงอันน่ากลัว
Uncertain (context not provided in the single-verse input; commonly transmitted as a general admonition within the narrative dialogue)
Concept: Even ‘dharma-aligned’ untruth is a dangerous exception; avoid cultivating the habit of falsehood.
Application: Do not rationalize small lies as ‘for a good cause’; choose truthful, non-harmful speech or silence; consult conscience and śāstra before exceptions.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A quiet hermitage court where a senior ṛṣi instructs a younger seeker: between them lies a palm-leaf manuscript and a small oil lamp. In the background, a lotus pond reflects the sky, suggesting the subtle line between dharma and expedient untruth, while a faint shadowy knot motif symbolizes ‘perilous entanglement’.","primary_figures":["elder rishi-teacher","young ascetic-disciple"],"setting":"forest āśrama veranda beside a lotus pond, manuscripts and kusa grass seat, distant temple spire barely visible","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp-gold","lotus pink","deep indigo","sandalwood beige","forest green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: an elder rishi seated on a carved wooden pīṭha instructing a young ascetic, palm-leaf grantha open, a small brass lamp glowing; lotus pond behind with stylized padma blooms; gold leaf embellishment on the lamp flame, manuscript edges, and halo-like aura around the teacher; rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments minimal and austere, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a serene Himalayan-foothill āśrama scene with delicate brushwork; the guru gestures gently toward a manuscript while the disciple listens; cool blues and greens, lotus pond with fine ripples, refined facial features, lyrical naturalism, distant mountains and a thin stream; a subtle knot motif painted in the border to suggest ‘prasaṅga’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; the rishi-teacher with large expressive eyes and ochre skin tones, seated near a brass nilavilakku; lotus pond and stylized foliage; red/yellow/green palette with restrained ornamentation; temple-wall aesthetic emphasizing moral gravity and calm authority.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic composition with lotus motifs and ornate floral borders; central vignette of a sage teaching satya-dharma, with a small Vishnu-padma emblem above to imply Vaiṣṇava grounding; deep blues and gold accents, peacocks at the pond edge, intricate border patterns suggesting the ‘entanglement’ of untruth."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","night insects","gentle lamp crackle","distant flowing water","silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dharmayuktam + anṛtam → dharmayuktamanṛtam; hinasti + iti → hinastīti; hi + eṣa → hyeṣa
FAQs
It acknowledges a traditional view that a dharma-aligned untruth may be non-injurious, but it immediately warns against making it a practice, calling such involvement dangerous.
Discernment: even when a morally complex exception is discussed, one should avoid normalizing falsehood, because it easily becomes a harmful habit or rationalization.
Svarga-khaṇḍa frequently frames conduct as the cause of higher worlds; this verse stresses that ethical shortcuts (even seemingly justified ones) can degrade character and lead to moral downfall.