Vamana Purana — Jabali on the Banyan Tree, Shloka 32
Jabali Bound on the Banyan Tree and Nandayanti’s Appeal at Sri-Kantha on the Yamuna
मूढबुद्धे भवान् भ्राता ममासि त्वनयाप्लुतः भगिनी धर्मतस्ते ऽहं भवाञ्शिष्यः पितुर्मम
mūḍhabuddhe bhavān bhrātā mamāsi tvanayāplutaḥ bhaginī dharmataste 'haṃ bhavāñśiṣyaḥ piturmama
“O hangal ang isip, ikaw ay kapatid kong lalaki—sa ugnayang ito ikaw ay nasasaklaw. Ayon sa dharma, ako ang kapatid mong babae; at ikaw ay alagad ng aking ama.”
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FAQs
It grounds the prohibition in two dharmic bonds: (1) a sibling relation (‘I am your sister by dharma’), and (2) a pedagogical hierarchy (‘you are my father’s disciple’), both of which bar erotic pursuit.
Dharmatas indicates a relationship recognized by social-religious law (ācāra/dharma), which may be biological or established through accepted norms (e.g., through the guru’s household being treated as kin). The verse emphasizes normative binding force rather than romance.
Purāṇic ethics often reinforce restraint through multiple overlapping duties. Even if one bond were disputed, the guru-śiṣya framework independently imposes strict boundaries, intensifying the moral correction of the king’s desire.