Shloka 15
कर्णस्य मन्त्रः — Duryodhana-प्रति नीति-विचारः
Karna’s Counsel on Strategy toward the Pāṇḍavas
पप्रच्छ चैनं धर्मात्मा यथा ते प्रद्रुता: पुरात् । स तस्मै सर्वमाचख्यावानुपूर्व्येण पाण्डव:,फिर उन धर्मात्मा पांचाल-नरेशने यह पूछा कि 'आपलोग वारणावत नगरसे किस प्रकार भाग निकले? पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिरने वे सारी बातें उन्हें क्रमशः कह सुनायीं
papraccha cainaṁ dharmātmā yathā te pradrutāḥ purāt | sa tasmai sarvam ācakhyāvānupūrvyena pāṇḍavaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The righteous king of the Pāñcālas questioned him: “How did you all escape long ago from Vāraṇāvata?” Then the Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira), in orderly sequence, narrated the entire account to him—setting forth the truth of their peril and deliverance with the restraint and clarity befitting dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic communication: a righteous ruler seeks the truth of past events, and the virtuous respondent relates facts in proper order. Ethical emphasis falls on truthful testimony, disciplined speech, and responsible inquiry—especially when past suffering and political danger are involved.
Within Vaiśampāyana’s narration, the Pāñcāla king (understood as Drupada) asks how the Pāṇḍavas escaped from Vāraṇāvata. Yudhiṣṭhira then begins to recount, step by step, the full story of their earlier flight from that peril.