Shloka 11
कामीकवन-समागमः
Kāmyaka Forest Meeting: Kṛṣṇa’s Visit; Mārkaṇḍeya and Nārada Arrive
यथा विविदं मया प्राप्तं सर्परूपमरिंदम तथावश्यं मया ख्याप्यं तवाद्य शूणु सत्तम,'शत्रुदमन! जिस प्रकार मुझे यह सर्पका शरीर प्राप्त हुआ है, वह आज अवश्य तुमसे बतलाना है। सज्जनशिरोमणे! तुम ध्यान देकर सुनो
yathā vividam mayā prāptaṃ sarparūpam ariṃdama | tathāvaśyaṃ mayā khyāpyaṃ tavādya śṛṇu sattama ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O subduer of foes, just as I came to acquire this serpent-form, so must I certainly disclose it to you today. O best among the virtuous, listen attentively.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds satya (truthfulness) and accountability: one who has undergone an extraordinary condition (here, a serpent-form) should disclose its true cause clearly and without concealment, especially when asked by a worthy listener.
The speaker signals an imminent explanation of how he came to possess a serpent-body, addressing the listener with honorific epithets and urging attentive listening, setting up a backstory of transformation (typically linked to a curse or karmic consequence).