Shloka 44
ऋतुपर्णस्य विदर्भयात्रा-निश्चयः तथा बाहुकस्य हयपरिक्षा (Ṛtuparṇa’s resolve to go to Vidarbha and Bāhuka’s examination of horses)
एवं ब्रुवाणान् यदि व: प्रतिब्रूयात् कथंचन । स नर: सर्वथा ज्ञेय: कश्नासौ क््व नु वर्तते,'ब्राह्मणो! यदि आपके ऐसी बातें कहनेपर कोई किसी प्रकार भी आपको उत्तर दे तो उस मनुष्यका सब प्रकारसे परिचय प्राप्त कीजियेगा कि वह कौन है और कहाँ रहता है, इत्यादि
evaṃ bruvāṇān yadi vaḥ pratibrūyāt kathaṃcana | sa naraḥ sarvathā jñeyaḥ kaḥ saḥ kva nu vartate ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “If, when you speak in this manner, anyone should respond to you in any way at all, then that man must be identified without fail—who he is, and where he dwells.”
युदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should practice discernment: when a carefully framed statement elicits a response, that response is a clue. The ethical instruction is to verify identity and circumstances before acting, so that decisions align with dharma rather than assumption.
Yudhiṣṭhira gives a practical directive to a brāhmaṇa: if anyone answers back to the brāhmaṇa’s words, that person should be investigated—who he is and where he resides—implying the reply may reveal a significant or hidden party relevant to the situation.