Shloka 60

Devanagari script

पृच्छयमानोविशङ्केतसहसाबुद्धिमान्वचः ।तत्रमित्रंप्रदुष्येतमिथ्यापृष्टंसुखागतम् ।।6.17.60।।

Transliteration

pṛcchyamāno viśaṅketa sahasā buddhimān vacaḥ | tatra mitraṃ praduṣyeta mithyā-pṛṣṭaṃ sukhāgatam || 6.17.60 ||

Translation

不意に問いただせば、賢者でさえ言葉に疑いが生じうる。そうなれば、善意で来た友も、無用の詮索によって汚れた者のように見えてしまう。

Word by Word

• पृच्छयमानः: (one) questioning
• पृच्छयमानः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present participle, parasmaipada), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; "while questioning"

• विशङ्केत: might suspect
• विशङ्केत: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शङ्क् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; "might suspect"

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb "suddenly/at once"

• बुद्धिमान्: wise
• बुद्धिमान्: विशेषण (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुद्धिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; adjective "wise" (qualifies implied person)

• वचः: words/speech
• वचः: कर्म/विषय (Object/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; "speech/words"

• तत्र: there/then
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb

• मित्रम्: a friend
• मित्रम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रदुष्येत: might become spoiled
• प्रदुष्येत: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√दुष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; "might become tainted/turn bad"

• मिथ्यापृष्टम्: questioned wrongly
• मिथ्यापृष्टम्: विशेषण (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मिथ्या-पृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः (मिथ्या + पृष्ट); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (पृष्ट from √प्रच्छ्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; qualifies मित्रम् as object/predicate context

• सुखागतम्: come in goodwill/peacefully
• सुखागतम्: विशेषण (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख-आगत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः (सुखम् + आगतम्); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (आगत from √गम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; qualifies मित्रम्

Context

"If enquired suddenly, a wise one will also become suspicious of his words. Even a friend who has come there will seem like a wicked one to him."

Characters & Entities

• Mainda
• Rāma
• Vibhīṣaṇa

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma of fair treatment: harsh or sudden suspicion can distort truth and unjustly damage a sincere person’s reputation.

What is the narrative situation?

Mainda warns against abruptly interrogating Vibhīṣaṇa, arguing that such questioning can itself create mistrust and misread goodwill.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sensitivity and justice—recognizing that the manner of inquiry affects outcomes and may violate fairness.