Shloka 21
Śuka’s Guṇa-Transcendence and Vyāsa’s Consolation (शुकगति-वर्णनम्)
श्रुते वयसि जातौ च सद्धावो नाधिगम्यते | एष्वर्थेषूत्तरं तस्मात् प्रवेद्यं मत्समागमे,वे बोले, किसीसे पूछे बिना उसके शास्त्रज्ञान, अवस्था और जातिके विषयमें सच्ची बात नहीं मालूम होती; अतः मेरे साथ जो तुम्हारा समागम हुआ है, इस अवसरपर इन सब विषयोंकी जानकारीके लिये यथार्थ उत्तर जानना आवश्यक है
śrute vayasi jātau ca saddhāvo nādhigamyate | eṣv artheṣūttaraṃ tasmāt pravedyaṃ matsamāgame ||
ジャナカは言った。「問わずしては、人のヴェーダと諸論書の学識も、年齢も、出生も、まことには知り得ぬ。ゆえに、あなたが私と相まみえたこの機会に、これらの事について明らかで真実の答えを示されねばならぬ。」
जनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Janaka emphasizes epistemic humility and ethical inquiry: a person’s learning, age, and social origin cannot be reliably known by assumption or appearance; truthful knowledge requires direct questioning and a clear answer.
In a dialogue context, King Janaka addresses his interlocutor and requests an explicit, accurate account of the person’s learning, age, and birth, since their meeting provides the occasion to clarify these uncertainties.