himself from falsehood (or sin)."

In later times we see the respect for truth carried to such an
extreme, that even a promise, unwittingly made, is considered to be
binding.

In the Ka_th_a-Upanishad, for instance, a father is introduced
offering what is called an _All_-sacrifice, where everything is
supposed to be given up. His son, who is standing by, taunts his
father with not having altogether fulfilled his vow, because he has
not sacrificed his son. Upon this, the father, though angry and
against his will, is obliged to sacrifice his son. Again, when the son
arrives in the lower world, he is allowed by the Judge of the Dead to
ask for three favors. He then asks to be restored to life, to be
taught some sacrificial mysteries, and, as the third boon, he asks to
know what becomes of man after he is dead. Yama, the lord of the
Departed, tries in vain to be let off from answering this last
question. But he, too, is bound by his promise, and then follows a
discourse on life after death, or immortal life, which forms one of
the most beautiful chapters in the ancient literature of India.

The whole plot of one of the great epic poems, the Ramaya_n_a, rests
on a rash promise given by Da_s_aratha, king of Ayodhya, to his second
wife, Kaikeyi, that he would grant her two boons. In order to secure
the succession to her own son, she asks that Rama, the eldest son by
the king's other wife, should be banished for fourteen years. Much as
the king repents his promise, Rama, his eldest son, would on no
account let his father break his word, and he leaves his kingdom to
wander in the forest with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshma_n_a.
After the father's death, the son of the second wife declines the
throne, and comes to Rama to persuade him to accept the kingdom of his
father. But all in vain. Rama will keep his exile for fourteen years,
and never disown his father's promise. Here follows a curious dialogue
between a Brahman _G_abali and Prince Rama, of which I shall give some
extracts:[74]

"The Brahman, who is a priest and courtier, says, 'Well,
descendant of Raghu, do not thou, so noble in sentiments, and
austere in character, entertain, like a common man, this
useless thought. What man is a kinsman of any other? What
relationship has any one with another? A man is born alone
and dies alone. Hence he who is attached to any one as his
father or his mother, is to be regarded as if he were insane,