Shloka 72
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
निःसंदिग्धं॑ यथा वाक्यमेतन्मे समुदाह्ृतम् । तेनाहं विप्र सत्येन स्वयमात्मानमालभे
niḥsaṃdigdhaṃ yathā vākyam etan me samudāhṛtam | tenāhaṃ vipra satyena svayam ātmānam ālabhe |
“ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣನೇ! ನಾನು ಈ ಮಾತನ್ನು ಯಾವುದೇ ಸಂಶಯವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಉಚ್ಚರಿಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಇದರ ಸತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಲು ನಾನು ಸ್ವತಃ ನನ್ನದೇ ದೇಹವನ್ನು ಸ್ಪರ್ಶಿಸಿ ಪ್ರಮಾಣ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse upholds satya (truth) as an ethical foundation: a righteous speaker should stand behind his words, even to the point of taking a solemn oath, emphasizing accountability and integrity in speech.
Bhishma, addressing a brahmin, asserts that his prior statement is beyond doubt and then reinforces its credibility by invoking truth and performing a formal oath-like act upon his own person.