Shloka 70
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ
यदि वै वक्ष्यसि मृषा प्रह्लादाथ न वक्ष्यसि । शतधा ते शिरो वज्री वज्नेण प्रहरिष्पति
yadi vai vakṣyasi mṛṣā prahlādātha na vakṣyasi | śatadhā te śiro vajrī vajreṇa prahariṣyati ||
„Prahlāda! Wenn du auf diese Frage mit Lüge antwortest — oder wenn du dich weigerst zu antworten und schweigst —, dann wird Indra, der Träger des Vajra, dich mit seinem Vajra treffen und deinen Kopf in hundert Stücke zerschmettern.“
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Truthful, responsible speech is a dharmic obligation: lying is condemned, and even withholding an answer (silence used as evasion) is treated as culpable when one is duty-bound to speak. The verse uses the threat of Indra’s vajra to underscore the seriousness of violating satya.
Vidura addresses Prahlāda in a questioning context and issues a stern warning: if Prahlāda lies in his reply or refuses to reply, Indra (Vajrī) will punish him by striking with the vajra, metaphorically emphasizing the peril of falsehood or evasive silence.