Shloka 16
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 85: Āṣṭaka–Yayāti संवादः
Merit-Exhaustion, Rebirth, and the Critique of Pride
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं स तुर्वसुं शप्त्वा ययाति: सुतमात्मन: । शर्मिष्ठाया: सुतं द्रुह्मुमिदं वचनमत्रवीत्,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! राजा ययातिने इस प्रकार अपने पुत्र तुर्वसुको शाप देकर शर्मिष्ठाके पुत्र द्रह्यसे यह बात कही
vaiśampāyana uvāca evaṃ sa turvasuṃ śaptvā yayātiḥ sutam ātmanaḥ | śarmiṣṭhāyāḥ sutaṃ druhyum idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Tras pronunciar así una maldición sobre Turvasu, su propio hijo, el rey Yayāti dirigió estas palabras a Druhyu, el hijo de Śarmiṣṭhā».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds moral causality in royal and familial life: a king’s words—especially a curse—carry ethical weight and shape the fate of descendants, emphasizing responsibility in speech and judgment.
Vaiśampāyana narrates to Janamejaya that King Yayāti, after cursing his son Turvasu, turns to address Druhyu, Śarmiṣṭhā’s son, indicating a shift from one son’s consequence to instructions or pronouncements directed at another.