Shloka 4
मनसा चिन्तितस्येव प्रीतिस्निग्धस्य दर्शनम् । प्रह्नमादयति मां वाक्यं भवता यदुदीरितम्
manasā cintitasyeva prītisnigdhasya darśanam | prahṇamādayati māṃ vākyaṃ bhavatā yad udīritam ||
The Brahmin said: “Just as the sight of a beloved friend—one longed for in the mind and dear with affection—brings joy, so too the words you have spoken gladden me. They delight me as much as the timely attainment of what one desires: food arriving at the proper moment for a guest, a wished-for object coming at the right time, or a son being born to an aged man.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises the ethical power of timely, fitting speech: words spoken appropriately can bring joy comparable to the fulfillment of essential duties and deep human hopes (feeding a guest, gaining a desired object, receiving a son, meeting a beloved friend).
A Brahmin responds appreciatively to another person’s statement, saying that the uttered words have delighted him as much as various timely fulfillments that traditionally signify well-being and dharmic order.