Shloka 4
तच्छुत्वा नाब्रवीत् किंचिदृतुपर्णो नराधिप: । न च पारिषद: कश्चिद् भाष्यमाणो मयासकृत्,“वहाँ बहुत लोगोंकी भीड़में मैंने तुम्हारा वाक्य महाभाग ऋतुपर्णको सुनाया। वरवर्णिनि! उस बातको सुनकर राजा ऋतुपर्ण कुछ न बोले। मेरे बार-बार कहनेपर भी उनका कोई सभासद् भी इसका उत्तर न दे सका
tac chrutvā nābravīt kiñcid ṛtuparṇo narādhipaḥ | na ca pāriṣadaḥ kaścid bhāṣyamāṇo mayā sakṛt |
Hearing those words, King Ṛtuparṇa, lord of men, said nothing at all. And though I spoke again and again, not a single courtier present could offer any reply—so the matter remained unanswered amid the assembly.
बृहदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights restraint in speech within royal and ethical contexts: silence can signal deliberation, caution, or strategic withholding, and a court may be unable (or unwilling) to respond when a matter is sensitive or beyond their competence.
Bṛhadaśva reports that after he conveyed the message in a crowded assembly, King Ṛtuparṇa remained silent; even when pressed repeatedly, none of the courtiers could answer, indicating a tense or uncertain reception of the words.