Shloka 19
Adhyāya 352: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Saṃvāda — Uñchavrata-niścaya
Dialogue and the Resolve to Practice Uñchavrata
कौतूहलं चापि हि मे एकान्तगमनेन ते । नैतत् कारणमल्पं हि भविष्यति पितामह,पितामह! आपके एकान्तमें जानेसे मेरे मनमें बड़ा कौतूहल पैदा हुआ। मैंने सोचा, इसका कोई छोटा-मोटा कारण नहीं होगा
kautūhalaṃ cāpi hi me ekāntagamanena te | naitat kāraṇam alpaṃ hi bhaviṣyati pitāmaha ||
पितामह! आपके एकान्त में चले जाने से मेरे मन में बड़ा कौतूहल उत्पन्न हुआ है। मुझे प्रतीत होता है कि इसका कारण कोई तुच्छ नहीं, अवश्य ही कोई गम्भीर हेतु है।
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic attitude of attentive inquiry: a significant withdrawal into solitude is presumed to have a serious ethical or spiritual motive, not a trivial impulse. It models respectful questioning before judgment.
Bhīṣma (speaking as ‘Pitāmaha’) addresses an elder as ‘Grandfather’ and remarks that the other person’s retreat into seclusion has aroused his curiosity; he suspects there is an important reason behind it, setting up further explanation or counsel.