Shloka 19
अष्टावक्र-प्रवेशः तथा ब्रह्मोद्य-प्रारम्भः
Aṣṭāvakra’s Entry and the Opening of the Brahmodya
यत् तेनोक्तं दुरुक्त तत् तदानीं ह्ृदि स्थितं तस्य सुदुःखमासीत् | गृहं गत्वा मातरं सो5भिगम्य पप्रच्छेद॑ क्व नु तातो ममेति,ब्ेतकेतुकी उस कटूक्तिने उस समय अष्टावक्रके हृदयमें गहरी चोट पहुँचायी। इससे उन्हें बड़ा दुःख हुआ। उन्होंने घरमें माताके पास जाकर पूछा --'माँ! मेरे पिताजी कहाँ हैं?”
yat tenoktaṃ duruktaṃ tat tadānīṃ hṛdi sthitaṃ tasya suduḥkham āsīt | gṛhaṃ gatvā mātaraṃ so 'bhigamya papraccheda kva nu tāto mameti |
Ucapan pedas itu seketika menancap di hati Aṣṭāvakra dan menimbulkan duka yang amat dalam. Ia pulang ke rumah, mendekati ibunya, lalu bertanya, “Ibu, di manakah ayahku?”
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of speech: a single harsh remark can lodge in the heart and cause deep suffering, implying the dharmic need for restraint and kindness in words.
After being wounded by a bitter comment, the person goes home, approaches his mother, and asks where his father is—moving the story toward discovering the father’s situation and the cause behind the painful remark.