Shloka 5
Virāṭanagara-nivāsa-nirṇaya
Decision to Reside in Virāṭa’s City
तथा स तु वरॉल्लब्ध्वा धर्मो धर्मभूतां वर: । गत्वा55श्रमं ब्राह्मणेभ्य आचख्यौ सर्वमेव तत्
tathā sa tu varāl labdhvā dharmo dharmabhūtāṁ varaḥ | gatvā āśramaṁ brāhmaṇebhya ācakhyau sarvam eva tat ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Having thus obtained the boon, Dharma—foremost among the righteous—went to the hermitage and related the entire matter to the Brahmins. The episode shows that even when a divine purpose is at work, events must be reported truthfully and set before learned witnesses, so that action accords with dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic procedure: after receiving a boon or achieving an outcome, one should act transparently—reporting the matter truthfully to learned and impartial witnesses—so that conduct remains aligned with righteousness rather than secrecy or self-interest.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Dharma, having obtained a boon, goes to an āśrama and informs the Brahmins of the entire event/news, setting the stage for the next developments by placing the account before respected ascetics.