Shloka 13
यक्ष उवाच अरणीसहितं हास्य ब्राह्मणस्य हृतं॑ मया । मृगवेषेण कौन्तेय जिज्ञासार्थ तव प्रभो
yakṣa uvāca araṇīsahitaṃ hāsya brāhmaṇasya hṛtaṃ mayā | mṛgaveṣeṇa kaunteya jijñāsārthaṃ tava prabho ||
យក្ខៈបាននិយាយថា៖ «ខ្ញុំបានយកឈុតឈើបង្កើតភ្លើង (អរណី) របស់ព្រះព្រាហ្មណ៍ ព្រមទាំងឈើចាក់ភ្លើងទៅ។ ឱ កូនកុន្តី! ខ្ញុំបានធ្វើដូច្នោះដោយបន្លំខ្លួនជាសត្វក្តាន់ ដើម្បីសាកល្បងប្រាជ្ញារបស់អ្នក ឱ ព្រះអម្ចាស់»។
यक्ष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical test: apparent wrongdoing (taking a Brahmin’s sacred fire-making tools) is revealed as a deliberate trial meant to examine the hero’s discernment and commitment to dharma under pressure and uncertainty.
The Yakṣa discloses that he himself seized the Brahmin’s araṇī by assuming a deer’s form. He explains that this was done to probe Kaunteya’s qualities—setting up the larger episode of questioning and moral evaluation.