Shloka 70
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ
यदि वै वक्ष्यसि मृषा प्रह्लादाथ न वक्ष्यसि । शतधा ते शिरो वज्री वज्नेण प्रहरिष्पति
yadi vai vakṣyasi mṛṣā prahlādātha na vakṣyasi | śatadhā te śiro vajrī vajreṇa prahariṣyati ||
“Wahai Prahlāda! Jika engkau menjawab dengan dusta, atau jika engkau enggan menjawab dan berdiam diri, maka Indra, pemegang vajra, akan memukulmu dengan vajranya dan memecahkan kepalamu menjadi seratus bahagian.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Truthful, responsible speech is a dharmic obligation: lying is condemned, and even withholding an answer (silence used as evasion) is treated as culpable when one is duty-bound to speak. The verse uses the threat of Indra’s vajra to underscore the seriousness of violating satya.
Vidura addresses Prahlāda in a questioning context and issues a stern warning: if Prahlāda lies in his reply or refuses to reply, Indra (Vajrī) will punish him by striking with the vajra, metaphorically emphasizing the peril of falsehood or evasive silence.