न ददास्युत्तरं विद्धि मृतामेव प्रजापते । इत्युक्तः स तदोवाच तां पत्नीमतिदुःखिताम्
na dadāsyuttaraṃ viddhi mṛtāmeva prajāpate | ityuktaḥ sa tadovāca tāṃ patnīmatiduḥkhitām
“Ketahuilah, aku tidak akan memberi jawaban—wahai Prajāpati, ia bagaikan telah mati.” Setelah demikian dikatakan, ia pun lalu berbicara kepada istrinya yang amat berduka.
Narrator (within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa tradition: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa to sages)
Scene: Prajāpati/Kaśyapa, grave and restrained, refuses to answer immediately, implying fatal consequence; Diti stands devastated, her sorrow deepening.
Purāṇas portray grief as spiritually perilous; wise counsel is required before granting or refusing boons.
None.
None directly; the following verse introduces tapas as the prescribed means.