Shloka 20
The Glory of Truthful Oaths and Keeping One’s Promise
Satya & Pratijñā
विवाहं यो जनः कुर्याद्ब्राह्मणं च विशेषतः । किं च दानैः किं च तीर्थैः किं यज्ञैर्व्रतकोटिभिः
vivāhaṃ yo janaḥ kuryādbrāhmaṇaṃ ca viśeṣataḥ | kiṃ ca dānaiḥ kiṃ ca tīrthaiḥ kiṃ yajñairvratakoṭibhiḥ
جو شخص برہمن کا بیاہ کرائے، خصوصاً ایسا، اسے دان کی کیا حاجت، تیرتھ یاترا کی کیا ضرورت، یَجْنوں کی کیا حاجت، یا کروڑوں ورتوں کی بھی کیا ضرورت؟
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within Brahma-khaṇḍa context; exact dialogue speaker not provided in the input).
Concept: Upholding varṇāśrama-dharma through sanctioned saṃskāras can be extolled as a concentrated source of puṇya, eclipsing many auxiliary merits.
Application: Support lawful, ethical rites and responsibilities (marriage, education, charity) with integrity; prioritize foundational duties over performative religiosity.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A solemn courtyard where a sacred marriage rite is being prepared: a clean altar with a small fire, kusa grass, and vessels of water. In the background, symbolic silhouettes of distant tīrthas and grand yajña arenas fade like mirages, implying that this single dharmic act surpasses them all.","primary_figures":["brāhmaṇa priest","householder patron","Vishnu (subtle, as a radiant presence above the altar)"],"setting":"North Indian domestic yajña-śālā courtyard with vedi, agni-kuṇḍa, kalasha, and garlands; distant imagined pilgrimage landscapes as faint overlays.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["saffron","smoke gray","ghee-gold","sandalwood beige","deep maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a richly ornamented domestic yajña-śālā with a glowing agni-kuṇḍa at center, brāhmaṇa priest seated with palm-leaf texts, patron offering water and dakṣiṇā; above, a subtle Vishnu aura in gold leaf radiance, ornate arch frame, gem-studded jewelry details, rich reds and greens, heavy gold leaf embellishment emphasizing the supremacy of dharma.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: an intimate courtyard marriage-rite preparation with delicate linework, soft faces, refined textiles; faint distant vignettes of rivers and temples painted like dream-clouds to show ‘tīrtha and yajña’ receding; cool yet warm-balanced palette, lyrical trees and a quiet sky.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, flat yet vibrant natural pigments; central agni and ritual vessels, priest and patron in profile; a stylized Vishnu halo above, lotus motifs around the border, red/yellow/green dominance with rhythmic decorative geometry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a devotional border of lotuses and tulasi leaves framing a household dharma scene; central glowing altar, attendants with lamps; deep blue background with gold highlights, intricate floral borders, peacocks at corners, subtle Vishnu symbolism (śaṅkha-cakra motifs) rather than a full figure."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"authoritative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["low temple bells","soft fire crackle","conch shell (distant)","ritual water pour","measured silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कुर्याद्ब्राह्मणम् = कुर्यात् + ब्राह्मणम्; यज्ञैर्व्रतकोटिभिः = यज्ञैः + व्रतकोटिभिः (विसर्ग-सन्धिः: ः + व् → र्व्)
FAQs
It elevates the religious merit of properly performing a Brahmin marriage rite, presenting it as so potent that other merit-producing acts—charity, pilgrimage, sacrifice, and numerous vows—become comparatively unnecessary.
Not necessarily; it uses rhetorical questions (“what need…?”) to emphasize the exceptional merit of the stated act, rather than to condemn other dharmic practices.
It underscores the importance of upholding household rites and social-religious duties (gṛhastha-dharma), portraying marriage performed according to dharma as a major pillar of spiritual and social order.