Shloka 4
Adhyāya 33: Antarvedī-Samāgama, Arghya-Nirṇaya, and Śiśupāla’s Objection
दस्युभ्यो वज्चकेभ्यो वा राजन् प्रति परस्परम् । राजवल्लभतश्चैव नाश्रूयन्त मृषा गिर:
dasyubhyo vañcakebhyo vā rājan prati parasparam | rājavallabhataś caiva nāśrūyanta mṛṣā giraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Ô Roi, là-bas on n’entendait point de paroles mensongères — ni de la bouche des voleurs ou des trompeurs, ni même de celle des favoris et des hommes de confiance du roi. Non seulement envers les sujets, mais même entre eux, nul ne recourait au mensonge ni à la fraude.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights truthfulness as a social and political virtue: even those typically associated with wrongdoing (robbers, cheats) and even powerful insiders (royal favourites) do not speak falsely. It presents an ethical ideal where honesty prevails across classes and relationships.
Vaiśampāyana is describing the moral condition of a realm/society to the king he addresses, emphasizing that deceitful speech was absent not only in dealings with the public but also in private, mutual interactions.