इति द्वैतवने तात मामुवाच धनंजय: । परोक्षे त्वदगुणांस्तथ्यान् कथयन्नार्यसंसदि,तात! इस प्रकार अर्जुनने द्वैतवनमें श्रेष्ठ पुरुषोंकी सभामें तुम्हारे यथार्थ गुणोंका वर्णन करते हुए परोक्षमें मुझसे उपर्युक्त बातें कही थीं
iti dvaitavane tāta mām uvāca dhanañjayaḥ | parokṣe tvad-guṇāṁs tathiyān kathayann ārya-saṁsadi ||
Thus, dear one, in the Dvaitavana forest Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) spoke these words to me—while, in the assembly of noble men, he was truthfully recounting your virtues in your absence. The passage underscores the ethical ideal that genuine praise is offered without ulterior motive, especially when the person praised is not present to hear it.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच
The verse highlights an ethical standard: truthful appreciation of another’s virtues is most credible and dharmic when expressed in their absence (parokṣe), before impartial and noble listeners. It implies integrity in speech—praise should be grounded in fact (tathyān) rather than flattery.
Yudhiṣṭhira recalls a prior moment in the Dvaitavana forest when Arjuna spoke to him. Arjuna had been describing the addressee’s virtues truthfully in a noble assembly, and Yudhiṣṭhira reports that Arjuna conveyed those remarks to him indirectly, summarizing what had been said.