Shloka 16
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 98 — Paraśurāma’s kṣatriya suppression; Dīrghatamas, Bali, Sudēṣṇā, and the birth of Aṅga
वैशम्पायन उवाच तथेत्युक्ता तु सा राजंस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! राजा प्रतीपने “तथास्तु” कहकर उसकी शर्त स्वीकार कर ली। तत्पश्चात् वह वहीं अन्तर्धान हो गयी
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: tathety uktā tu sā rājan tatraivāntaradhīyata.
قال فايشَمبايانا: «أيها الملك، لما أُجيبت بـ“ليكن كذلك” توارت في الحال، هناك في الموضع نفسه. وتُبرز هذه الحادثة الثقلَ الأخلاقي لكلمة الحاكم: فإذا قُبِل الشرط صار الوفاءُ بذلك القبول واجبًا مُلزِمًا، ولو انحجب الطرف الآخر عن الأنظار.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s assent (“tathāstu/ tatheti”) is not casual speech; it creates an ethical obligation. The verse highlights the dharmic seriousness of accepting conditions and the duty to honor one’s word even when circumstances change.
After the king replies “So be it,” accepting her stated condition, the woman immediately vanishes on the spot, signaling that the agreement now stands and its consequences will unfold later.