Shloka 49
अथ कौशिकमभ्येत्य प्राहुस्ते सत्यवादिनम् । कतमेन पथा याता भगवन् बहवो जना:
atha kauśikam abhyetya prāhus te satyavādinam | katamena pathā yātā bhagavan bahavo janāḥ ||
Then, approaching the sage Kauśika—renowned as a speaker of truth—they addressed him: “O venerable one, by which path have many people gone?” The question frames a moral test: how a commitment to truth should be exercised when one’s words may affect the welfare of others.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse sets up a dharmic dilemma about satya (truth): truthfulness is praised, yet the ethical weight of speech depends on its consequences. It invites reflection on when and how truth should be spoken so that it aligns with dharma and does not become a cause of harm.
A group of people approach the sage Kauśika, known for strict truthfulness, and ask him which route many people have taken. The inquiry functions as a test of his commitment to truth and foreshadows the moral implications of giving information that may affect others’ safety.