Shloka 116
Puruṣaikatva-vyākhyāna: The One Virāṭ Puruṣa and the Many ‘Puruṣas’
Rudra–Brahmā Saṃvāda
कस्य वै को मतः कामो ब्रूत सत्य॑ द्विजोत्तमा: । तब राजा वसुने हाथ जोड़कर उन सबसे पूछा--'विप्रवरो! आपलोग सच-सच बताइये
kasya vai ko mataḥ kāmo brūta satyaṃ dvijottamāḥ |
ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ຈົ່ງບອກຄວາມຈິງເຖີດ ໂອ ພຣາຫມັນຜູ້ປະເສີດທັງຫຼາຍ—ໃຜມີຄວາມປາຖະໜາແນວໃດ? ແຕ່ລະຄົນຖືທັດສະນະໃດ?» ໃນກອບເລື່ອງ ກະສັດວະສຸໄດ້ປະນົມມືຖາມພຣາຫມັນທີ່ຊຸມນຸມຢູ່ໃຫ້ກ່າວຢ່າງຊັດເຈນ—ໃຜເອີ້ນ ‘aja’ ວ່າແບ້ ແລະໃຜເອີ້ນວ່າເຂົ້າ/ທັນຍາຫານ—ເພື່ອໃຫ້ຕັດສິນໄດ້ໂດຍບໍ່ມີການລໍ້ລວງຫຼືລໍາເອີຍ.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds satya (truthfulness) and clarity in counsel: when words admit multiple meanings, ethical decision-making requires openly stating one’s intended interpretation rather than manipulating ambiguity for advantage.
Bhishma recounts a scene where King Vasu, with folded hands, asks the Brahmins to declare honestly which meaning they accept—whether ‘aja’ should be understood as ‘goat’ or as ‘grain/food’—so he can judge or act without bias.