Shloka 4

Devanagari script

गन्धर्व उवाच हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि कथामेतां मनोरमाम्‌ | यथावदखिलां पार्थ सर्वबुद्धिमतां वर,गन्धर्व बोला--समस्त बुद्धिमानोंमें श्रेष्ठ कुन्तीकुमार! इस विषयमें एक बहुत मनोरम कथा है, जिसे मैं यथार्थ एवं पूर्णरूपसे आपको सुनाऊँगा

Transliteration

gandharva uvāca hanta te kathayiṣyāmi kathām etāṃ manoramām | yathāvad akhilāṃ pārtha sarva-buddhimatāṃ vara ||

Translation

The Gandharva said: “Well then, I shall recount to you this delightful tale. O Pārtha, best among all the wise, I will tell it to you correctly and in full.”

Word by Word

• {'gandharva uvāca': 'the Gandharva said', 'hanta': 'well then

• an interjection marking readiness to speak', 'te': 'to you', 'kathayiṣyāmi': 'I shall narrate

• I will tell', 'kathām': 'a story

• account', 'etām': 'this', 'manoramām': 'charming

• pleasing to the mind', 'yathāvat': 'properly

• as it should be', 'akhilām': 'entire

• without omission', 'pārtha': 'O son of Pṛthā (Kuntī)

• an address to Arjuna', 'sarva-buddhimatām': 'of all intelligent/wise persons', 'vara': 'best

Speaker

गन्धर्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Gandharva
• Pārtha (Arjuna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The speaker models dharmic narration: a worthy account should be told truthfully (yathāvat) and completely (akhilām), and it should be offered with respect to a discerning listener—here addressed as the ‘best among the wise’.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Gandharva begins a new episode by promising Arjuna (Pārtha) that he will narrate a charming story, emphasizing that it will be accurate and comprehensive—serving as a formal preface to the tale that follows.