Shloka 16
Varuṇa’s Bestowal of the Gāṇḍīva and the Arming of Kṛṣṇa–Arjuna
Khāṇḍava Prelude
स नो<पृच्छद् दुःखमूलमुक्तवत्यो वयं च तम् । श्रुत्वा तत्र यथावृत्तमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्,फिर उन्होंने हमारे दु:खका कारण पूछा और हमने उनसे सब कुछ बता दिया। सारा हाल सुनकर वे इस प्रकार बोले--
sa no 'pṛcchad duḥkha-mūlam uktavatyo vayaṃ ca tam | śrutvā tatra yathā-vṛttam idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||
Er fragte uns nach der Wurzel unseres Kummers, und wir erzählten ihm, da wir befragt wurden, alles. Nachdem er dort den Hergang vollständig, wie er sich zugetragen hatte, vernommen hatte, sprach er diese Worte—
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical method of addressing suffering: first identify the duḥkha-mūla (root cause) through careful inquiry and truthful narration (yathā-vṛttam), then offer guidance. It implies that wise counsel begins with understanding, not assumption.
A Brahmin questions the speakers about why they are distressed. They recount the entire situation, and after hearing the accurate sequence of events, he begins to respond—introducing the next portion of dialogue or instruction.