Shloka 8
Vyāsa’s Arrival at Janamejaya’s Sarpasatra; Commissioning of Vaiśaṃpāyana’s Recital (व्यासागमनम्)
तां च शप्तवतीं देव: साक्षाल्लोकपितामह: । एवमस्त्विति तद्वाक्यं प्रोवाचानुमुमोद च,कद्रूने जब इस प्रकार शाप दे दिया, तब साक्षात् लोकपितामह भगवान् ब्रह्माने 'एवमस्तु' कहकर उनके वचनका अनुमोदन किया
tāṁ ca śaptavatīṁ devaḥ sākṣāl lokapitāmahaḥ | evam astv iti tad-vākyaṁ provācānumumoda ca ||
And when she had thus pronounced the curse, the divine Lord—Brahmā himself, the grandsire of the worlds—declared, “So be it,” thereby affirming and approving her utterance. The narrative underscores that even a spoken imprecation, once rightly issued, gains binding force when sanctioned by cosmic authority.
आस्तीक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Words—especially vows, boons, and curses—carry moral and causal weight in the epic world; when validated by a higher authority like Brahmā, they become part of the binding order (dharma/ṛta), illustrating the ethical seriousness of speech.
After a woman has pronounced a curse, Brahmā, the cosmic grandsire, appears as witness and responds “evam astu” (“so be it”), explicitly endorsing her statement and ensuring its effectiveness within the unfolding events.