Shloka 4
बृहन्नडाप्रवेशः — Bṛhannadā’s Entry into Virāṭa’s Assembly
कस्य वा त्वं कुतो वा त्वं कि वा त्वं तु चिकीर्षसि । न हि मे दृष्टपूर्वस्त्वं तत्त्वं ब्रूहि नरर्षभ,'पुरुषप्रवर! तुम किसके पुत्र हो, कहाँसे आये हो और क्या करना चाहते हो? मैंने आजसे पहले तुम्हें कभी नहीं देखा है; अतः अपना ठीक-ठीक परिचय दो”
kasyā vā tvaṁ kuto vā tvaṁ ki vā tvaṁ tu cikīrṣasi | na hi me dṛṣṭapūrvas tvaṁ tattvaṁ brūhi nararṣabha ||
«¡Oh, el mejor de los hombres! ¿De quién eres hijo, de dónde vienes y qué pretendes hacer? Nunca te he visto antes; por tanto, di la verdad y declara con claridad tu identidad.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharmic communication: when confronted with an unknown person, one should seek clarity through direct questions and insist on tattva (truth). It implies that truthful self-disclosure and transparent intention are ethical prerequisites for trust and proper conduct.
A speaker addresses an unfamiliar man with a sequence of probing questions—lineage, origin, and purpose—stating that he has not been seen before and therefore must state his identity truthfully. The moment functions as a narrative checkpoint before further interaction or decision-making.