ath-taking signifies a solemn pledge or appeal to divinity. It has long been a familiar expression of truth, loyalty and moral obligation. Traditionally, an oath was a sacred promise made before God or the gods, invoking divine punishment for falsehood. In ancient societies, to break one’s oath was not merely dishonourable—it was sacrilegious, often equated with perjury against the divine order itself.

Across civilisations, oaths carried deep religious and legal significance, serving as both moral anchors and legal instruments. In Judaism, biblical texts, such as Numbers 30:2 emphasised that “when a man vows a vow unto the Lord, he shall not break his word.” An oath bound the speaker to divine truth, and breaking it was a sin against both God and community.

Among the Romans, citizens swore by Iuppiter Lapis, symbolising Jupiter’s authority as the divine guarantor of justice. Oath-breaking was punishable by the gods and often accompanied by elaborate rituals, such as striking a pig with a sacred stone to invoke divine retribution upon perjurers.

In Hindu tradition, the pratigya or vow held sacred value and was viewed as the essence of honour and dharma. Kings and warriors such as Bhishma and Rama were revered precisely because they upheld their oaths even at great personal loss. To renege on a promise was to lose dharma—the moral law believed to uphold the universe.

In ancient Greece, oaths were considered the moral foundation of political order. Lycurgus declared that “it is the oath which holds democracy together,” reflecting the belief that communal trust and law rested upon truth sworn before the gods. Among Germanic and Norse peoples, oaths were central to warrior and feudal culture. Knights, kings and retainers swore oaths of fealty on swords, sacred boars or rings believed to embody divine presence. Honour was inseparable from one’s sworn word—an oath once broken could destroy reputation, lineage and divine favour.

In Islamic history, oath-taking (yameen or qasam) occupies........

© The News on Sunday