न ददास्युत्तरं विद्धि मृतामेव प्रजापते । इत्युक्तः स तदोवाच तां पत्नीमतिदुःखिताम्
na dadāsyuttaraṃ viddhi mṛtāmeva prajāpate | ityuktaḥ sa tadovāca tāṃ patnīmatiduḥkhitām
“Alamin mong hindi ako magbibigay ng sagot—(siya) ay parang patay na, O Prajāpati.” Nang masabihan nang gayon, siya’y nagsalita sa asawang labis na nagdurusa.
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.