Shloka 3
Śānti-parva Adhyāya 30: Nārada–Parvata Samaya-bhaṅga, Śāpa, and the Marriage of Sukumārī
उताहो नाममात्र वै सुवर्णछ्ठीविनो&भवत् | कथं वा काञ्चनष्ठीवीत्येतदिच्छामि वेदितुम्
utāho nāmamātraṃ vai suvarṇaṣṭhīvino 'bhavat | kathaṃ vā kāñcanaṣṭhīvīty etad icchāmi veditum |
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Was that boy called ‘Suvarṇaṣṭhīvin’ (Golden-Spitter) merely by name, or did he truly possess such a trait? And how did he come to be known as ‘Kāñcanaṣṭhīvī’ (one who spits gold)? This I wish to understand.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry into whether a person’s reputation (a name) reflects real qualities and actions. It invites reflection on how labels arise—through mere convention, through observable conduct, or through deeper karmic causes—and cautions against judging solely by hearsay.
Yudhiṣṭhira asks for clarification about a boy known by striking epithets—‘Suvarṇaṣṭhīvin’ and ‘Kāñcanaṣṭhīvī.’ He wants to know whether the title was only nominal or based on an actual phenomenon/quality, and what specific cause led to that name.