Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्
त उक्त्वा बाढमित्येवं सर्व एव तदा समम् | क्षुधार्ता: सुपरिश्रान्ता: शपथायोपचक्रमु:
ta uktvā bāḍham ity evaṁ sarva eva tadā samam | kṣudhārtāḥ supariśrāntāḥ śapathāyopacakramuḥ ||
শপথের কথা শুনে সবাই একসঙ্গে বলল—“বেশ।” তারপর ক্ষুধায় কাতর ও পরিশ্রমে সম্পূর্ণ ক্লান্ত সেই ব্রাহ্মণরা একযোগে শপথ গ্রহণের জন্য প্রস্তুত হল।
शुन:सख उवाच
A śapatha (solemn oath) is treated as a serious ethical instrument: even when people are hungry and exhausted, they recognize the binding force of a vow and consent unanimously, implying that truth and accountability are not to be set aside due to hardship.
After a proposal or statement is made, everyone responds in agreement (“bāḍham”—‘very well’). The hungry, fatigued brāhmaṇas then proceed together to undertake the act of oath-taking, indicating a formal step toward establishing truth or resolving a matter through a vow.