Shloka 50
Adhyaya 74 — King Svarashtra, the Deer-Queen’s Curse, and the Rise of Tamasa Manu
कस्त्वं तात कथं वाहं पुत्रो माता च का मम ।
किमर्थमागतश्च त्वमेतत् सत्यं ब्रवीहि मे ॥
kastvaṃ tāta kathaṃ vāhaṃ putro mātā ca kā mama / kimarthamāgataśca tvametat satyaṃ bravīhi me
„Wer bist du, Geliebte? Und wie bin ich dein Sohn, und wer ist meine Mutter? Zu welchem Zweck bist du gekommen? Sage mir dies wahrheitsgemäß.“
FAQs
The verse foregrounds satya (truthfulness) as the proper basis for resolving questions of origin, duty, and relationship—lineage is not mere pride, but a guide to svadharma.
It functions as a narrative hinge within Vaṃśa/Manvantara material: a genealogical inquiry that sets up the recounting of events leading to a Manu and his era (Manvantara).
The ‘who am I / who are you’ questioning can be read as a dharmic-identity motif: knowing one’s true origin is a prerequisite for right action; ignorance of lineage symbolizes confusion of dharma.