Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 18
Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)
यमोडब्रवीन्मां न मृतोडसि सौम्य यम॑ पश्येत्याह स त्वां तपस्वी । पिता प्रदीप्ताग्निसमानतेजा न तच्छक्यमनृतं विप्र कर्तुम्
yamo 'bravīn māṁ na mṛto 'si saumya yamaṁ paśyety āha sa tvāṁ tapasvī | pitā pradīptāgnisamānatejā na tac chakyaṁ anṛtaṁ vipra kartum ||
毗湿摩说道：阎摩对我说：“温和之人，你并未死去。你那修苦行的父亲只说：‘去见阎摩。’噢，婆罗门啊，你父亲的威光如烈焰炽燃；他的言语不可能被变作虚妄。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes satya (truth) as a binding moral force: the word of a spiritually powerful, truthful ascetic cannot be rendered false. Dharma operates so that even seemingly grim statements are fulfilled without violating truth.
Yama addresses the speaker (as reported by Bhishma), clarifying that he is not actually dead; he has come to Yama because his ascetic father instructed him to 'see Yama.' Yama explains that the father’s fiery spiritual radiance makes his statement inviolable, so events unfold to honor that word.