Shloka 4

Setubandha-Niścaya (Decision for the Causeway) and Vānara-Senā Saṃniveśa — Bridge Strategy and Alliance Consolidation

Devanagari script

जानामि च त्वां सुरथस्य पुत्र यं कोटिकास्येति विदुर्मनुष्या: । तस्मादहं शैब्य तथैव तुभ्य- माख्यामि बन्धून्‌ प्रथितं कुलं च,परंतु मैं तुम्हें पहचानती हूँ, तुम राजा सुरथके पुत्र हो, जिसे लोग कोटिकास्यके नामसे जानते हैं। शैब्य! इसीलिये मैं तुम्हें अपने बन्धुजनों तथा विश्वविख्यात वंशका परिचय देती हूँ

Transliteration

jānāmi ca tvāṃ surathasya putra yaṃ koṭikāsyeti vidur manuṣyāḥ | tasmād ahaṃ śaibya tathaiva tubhyam ākhyāmi bandhūn prathitaṃ kulaṃ ca ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “I recognize you, son of King Suratha—the one whom people know by the name Koṭikāsya. Therefore, O Śaibya, I shall now tell you of my kinsmen and of my widely renowned lineage.”

Word by Word

• {'jānāmi': 'I know

• I recognize', 'ca': 'and', 'tvām': 'you (accusative singular)', 'surathasya': 'of Suratha (genitive singular)', 'putra': 'son (vocative singular)', 'yam': 'whom

• who (accusative singular)', 'koṭikāsya-iti': '‘Koṭikāsya’—thus (as a name/appellation)', 'viduḥ': 'they know (3rd person plural perfect/present sense)', 'manuṣyāḥ': 'people

• men', 'tasmāt': 'therefore

• for that reason', 'aham': 'I', 'śaibya': 'O Śaibya (vocative

• patronymic/lineage-based address)', 'tathaiva': 'just so

• indeed', 'tubhyam': 'to you (dative singular)', 'ākhyāmi': 'I declare

• I tell', 'bandhūn': 'kinsmen

• relatives (accusative plural)', 'prathitam': 'famed

• well-known', 'kulam': 'family

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Suratha
• Koṭikāsya
• Śaibya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the cultural-ethical importance of knowing and acknowledging identity through lineage (kula) and kinship (bandhu). Recognition establishes trust and social context, after which a proper account of one’s family and reputation can be responsibly given.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator, Vaiśaṃpāyana, reports a speaker recognizing the listener as Suratha’s son, known publicly as Koṭikāsya, and then announcing an intention to introduce their own relatives and celebrated lineage to him, addressing him as Śaibya.