Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 13
Vaitaraṇī: Torments of the Sinful, Sins Enumerated, and the Vaitaraṇī Go-dāna Rite
ब्राह्मणाय प्रतीश्रुत्य यमार्थं न ददाति तम् / आहूय नास्ति यो ब्रूयात्तस्य वासस्तु तत्र वै
brāhmaṇāya pratīśrutya yamārthaṃ na dadāti tam / āhūya nāsti yo brūyāttasya vāsastu tatra vai
Ang sinumang nangakong maghandog sa isang brāhmaṇa ngunit hindi ibinibigay ang ipinangako; at ang sinumang tumawag sa tao at saka nagsasabing, “wala siya rito,” upang mandaya—para sa gayong tao, tunay na may paninirahan doon sa kaharian ni Yama ng pagganti sa karma.
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Satya (truthfulness) and honoring promises—especially to brāhmaṇas—are binding; deceit and promise-breaking generate papa.
Vedantic Theme: Vāk-śuddhi and karma: speech as action with consequences; adharma strengthens bondage.
Application: Keep commitments; if unable, communicate honestly and make amends; avoid manipulative lying and evasions.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: yamaloka domain
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: repeated condemnation of asatya, dāna-viṣaya-doṣa, and brāhmaṇa-droha
FAQs
This verse treats a pledged gift to a Brāhmaṇa as a dharmic obligation; breaking it becomes a punishable deceit that leads to suffering under Yama’s jurisdiction.
It lists specific acts of dishonesty—reneging on a promised gift and misleading speech—as causes for being assigned an abode in Yama’s punitive realms, reflecting karmic accountability after death.
Avoid making vows you cannot fulfill, honor committed donations, and do not use lies or evasions to mislead others—truthful speech and reliability are presented as protections against harmful karma.