Shloka 12
धृतराष्ट्रदर्शनाय पाण्डवानां प्रयाणम् | The Pāṇḍavas Prepare to Visit Dhṛtarāṣṭra
स मामुवाच तिग्मांशुर्वथा55द्वानं न मे क्षमम् । थक्ष्यामि त्वां च विप्रं च येन दत्तो वरस्तव
sa mām uvāca tigmāṁśur yathāhvānaṁ na me kṣamam | bhasmīkariṣyāmi tvāṁ ca vipraṁ ca yena datto varas tava ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then the fierce-rayed Sun spoke to me: “My summons cannot be rendered futile. Ask for some boon without fail; otherwise I shall reduce to ashes both you and the brāhmaṇa by whom this boon was granted to you.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A divine summons and a granted boon carry binding force: one should respond responsibly, because ignoring such obligations can bring severe consequences not only upon oneself but also upon the intermediary (here, the brahmin) connected to the boon.
The Sun, described as fierce-rayed, confronts the narrator and insists that his invocation cannot be in vain. He demands that a boon be requested, threatening to burn both the addressee and the brahmin who facilitated the boon if the request is not made.