Shloka 7
Adhyāya 41 — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Briefing and the Renewal of the Great Engagement
स धैर्ययुक्त प्रसमीक्ष्य मां वै नत्वं विप्र: कोडसि सत्यं वदेति । तस्मै तदा55त्मानमहं यथाव- दाख्यातवान् सूत इत्येव शल्य,“शल्य! उन्होंने मुझे ऐसे धैर्यसे युक्त देखकर पूछा--“अरे! तू ब्राह्मण तो है नहीं; फिर कौन है? सच-सच बता दे।” तब मैंने उनसे अपना यथार्थ परिचय देते हुए इस प्रकार कहा --'भगवन! मैं सूत हूँ!
sa dhairyayuktaḥ prasmīkṣya māṃ vai natvaṃ vipraḥ ko ’si satyaṃ vadeti | tasmai tadātmānam ahaṃ yathāvad ākhyātavān sūta ityeva śalya ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing me steady and composed, he questioned me: “You are not a brāhmaṇa—who are you? Speak the truth.” Then, to him, I disclosed my identity exactly as it was, saying, “O Śalya, I am a sūta.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds satya (truthfulness) as a dharmic imperative: when directly questioned, one should state one’s identity without deception, even when social labels (vipra vs. sūta) carry consequences.
Śalya, noticing Sañjaya’s composed demeanor, doubts that he is a brāhmaṇa and demands the truth. Sañjaya then openly identifies himself as a sūta, addressing Śalya respectfully.