Shloka 18

Devanagari script

वर्ताम्यहं तु यां वृत्ति पाण्डवेषु महात्मसु । तां सर्वा शृणु मे सत्यां सत्यभामे यशस्विनि,“यशस्विनी सत्यभामे! मैं स्वयं महात्मा पाण्डवोंके साथ जैसा बर्ताव करती हूँ, वह सब सच-सच सुनाती हूँ; सुनो

Transliteration

vartāmy ahaṃ tu yāṃ vṛttiṃ pāṇḍaveṣu mahātmasu | tāṃ sarvāṃ śṛṇu me satyāṃ satyabhāme yaśasvini ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O illustrious Satyabhāmā, listen to the full truth from me: I will tell you honestly how I conduct myself—what my manner of living and behavior is—toward the great-souled Pāṇḍavas.”

Word by Word

• {'vartāmi': 'I conduct myself

• I behave', 'aham': 'I', 'tu': 'but

• indeed (emphatic particle)', 'yām': 'which (feminine accusative singular)', 'vṛttim': 'conduct

• disposition', 'pāṇḍaveṣu': 'among/toward the Pāṇḍavas (locative plural)', 'mahātmasu': 'great-souled, noble persons (locative plural)', 'tām': 'that (feminine accusative singular)', 'sarvām': 'entire

• all of it', 'śṛṇu': 'hear

• listen (imperative)', 'me': 'from me

• my', 'satyām': 'truthful

• true (as what is to be spoken)', 'satyabhāme': 'O Satyabhāmā (vocative)', 'yaśasvini': 'O renowned/illustrious lady (vocative)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Satyabhāmā
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds satya (truthfulness) and vṛtti (ethical conduct): one should speak honestly and describe one’s behavior transparently, especially in relation to noble persons, making truth a guiding principle of relationships.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker, Vaiśampāyana, addresses Satyabhāmā and prepares to explain—truthfully and in full—how he (or the speaking voice in the passage) behaves toward the great-souled Pāṇḍavas, setting up a description of conduct and relationship with them.