Shloka 4
पञ्चमहाभूतगुण-इन्द्रियनिग्रह-उपदेशः | Teaching on the Qualities of the Five Elements and Sense-Control
न ते>स्त्यविदितं किज्चिदस्मिल्लोके द्विजोत्तम । कथां वेत्सि मुने दिव्यां मनुष्योरगरक्षसाम्
na te 'sty aviditaṃ kiñcid asmiṃl loke dvijottama | kathāṃ vetsi mune divyāṃ manuṣyoragarakṣasām ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O best of the twice-born, there is nothing in this world unknown to you. O sage, how do you come to know the wondrous accounts concerning men, serpents, and rākṣasas?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the recognized authority and near-omniscience attributed to a learned sage, implying that extraordinary narratives (about humans, nāgas, and rākṣasas) are preserved and transmitted through reliable seers and tradition.
Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses a revered Brahmin-sage, praising his vast knowledge and asking how he knows the marvelous stories spanning different kinds of beings—humans, serpents, and rākṣasas—thereby setting up or validating the forthcoming account.