Mahabharata — Udyoga Parva, Shloka 15
ययातिदौहित्रपुण्यसमुच्चयः | Yayāti and the Grandsons’ Consolidation of Merit
तमाहु: पार्थिवा: सर्वे दीप्यमानमिव श्रिया । को भवान् कस्य वा बन्धुर्देशस्य नगरस्य वा
tam āhuḥ pārthivāḥ sarve dīpyamānam iva śriyā | ko bhavān kasya vā bandhur deśasya nagarasya vā ||
Nārada said: Then all the kings, seeing him as though blazing with splendor, addressed him: “Who are you? Whose kinsman are you? From what land and what city do you come? Are you a Yakṣa or a god, a Gandharva or a Rākṣasa? Your form is not like that of ordinary men. Tell us—what purpose do you seek to accomplish?”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights royal and dharmic protocol: when confronted with an extraordinary stranger, rulers should inquire respectfully about identity, lineage, origin, and intention before forming judgments or taking action.
A group of kings see a person whose appearance is unusually radiant. Astonished, they question him—asking who he is, whose relative he is, where he comes from, what kind of being he might be, and what objective he has come to fulfill.