Shloka 496
कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira
सत्येन पृष्ट: प्रब्रूहि यदि तान् वेत्थ शंस न: । उन्होंने सत्यवादी कौशिक मुनिके पास आकर पूछा--“भगवन्! बहुत-से लोग जो इधर ही आये हैं
satyena pṛṣṭaḥ prabrūhi yadi tān vettha śaṃsa naḥ |
Vāyu berkata: “Karena engkau ditanya atas nama Kebenaran, katakanlah. Jika engkau tahu ke mana orang-orang itu pergi, beritahukan kepada kami. Wahai Bhagavan, banyak orang datang lewat sini; melalui jalan mana mereka berangkat? Kami bertanya dengan Kebenaran sebagai saksi—jika engkau tahu, katakan.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds a dharmic tension: truthfulness in speech is a virtue, yet speech can also cause harm. It invites reflection on how a vow of truth must be guided by responsibility and the broader aims of dharma.
Vāyudeva addresses an ascetic reputed for truthfulness and presses him to disclose the route taken by a group of people. The question is framed ‘with Truth as witness,’ intensifying the pressure to answer and setting up an ethical test about what should be spoken.