Shloka 15
अश्रमवासिनां विषादः — Lament in Hastināpura after the Elders’ Forest Withdrawal
ततः कथान्ते व्यासस्तं प्रज्ञाचक्षुषमी श्वरम् । प्रोवाच वदतां श्रेष्ठ; पुनरेव स तद् वच:
tataḥ kathānte vyāsas taṃ prajñācakṣuṣam īśvaram | provāca vadatāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ punar eva sa tad vacaḥ ||
Then, when the narration had reached its close, Vyāsa—the foremost among speakers—addressed that lord who sees with the eye of wisdom, and once again spoke these words to him.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical authority of wise speech: Vyāsa, exemplary among speakers, addresses a ruler/leader characterized by insight (‘seeing with wisdom’), implying that true guidance and governance should be grounded in prajñā (discriminative understanding) and attentive listening to dharmic counsel.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that as a section of the story concludes, Vyāsa turns to a prominent ‘lord’ described as possessing the eye of wisdom and speaks to him again, signaling a renewed instruction or continuation of counsel after a narrative pause.