Shloka 74
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ
कश्यप उवाच जानन्नविन्वुवन् प्रश्नान् कामात् क्रोधाद् भयात् तथा | सहस्र॑ वारुणान् पाशानात्मनि प्रतिमुज्चति
kaśyapa uvāca: jānann avinvuvañ praśnān kāmāt krodhād bhayāt tathā | sahasraṁ vāruṇān pāśān ātmani pratimuñcati ||
Kaśyapa berkata: “Seseorang yang, meski mengetahui, tidak menjawab pertanyaan—karena nafsu, amarah, atau takut—sesungguhnya menjerat dirinya sendiri dengan seribu jerat Varuṇa.”
कश्यप उवाच
Educational Q&A
If one knows the answer yet withholds it due to desire, anger, or fear, that silence is ethically culpable. The verse frames such motivated non-disclosure as self-imposed bondage—symbolized by Varuṇa’s nooses—implying inner constraint, loss of moral freedom, and accountability for suppressing truth.
Kaśyapa delivers a moral admonition about responding truthfully when questioned. He warns that refusing to answer despite knowing—especially when driven by passions or fear—creates a binding consequence for the speaker himself, expressed through the imagery of Varuṇa’s punitive bonds.