Shloka 114
यक्ष उवाच को मोदते किमाश्चर्य क: पन्था: का च वार्तिका । ममैतांश्वतुरः प्रश्नान् कथयित्वा जलं पिब,यक्षने पूछा--सुखी कौन है? आश्वर्य क्या है? मार्ग क्या है और वार्ता क्या है? मेरे इन चार प्रश्नोंका उत्तर देकर जल पीओ
yakṣa uvāca: ko modate? kim āścaryam? kaḥ panthāḥ? kā ca vārtikā? mama etān caturaḥ praśnān kathayitvā jalaṃ piba.
ຍັກສະເວົ້າວ່າ: «ໃຜແມ່ນຜູ້ພໍໃຈຢ່າງແທ້ຈິງ? ສິ່ງໃດແມ່ນອັດສະຈັນທີ່ຍິ່ງທີ່ສຸດ? ທາງແມ່ນຫຍັງ? ແລະຄໍາເວົ້າທີ່ຄວນ (ວາຣຕິກາ) ແມ່ນຫຍັງ? ຈົ່ງຕອບຄໍາຖາມສີ່ຂໍ້ນີ້ຂອງຂ້າກ່ອນ ແລ້ວຈຶ່ງດື່ມນໍ້າ»។
यक्ष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical inquiry as a prerequisite for rightful action: true satisfaction, the nature of wonder, the correct path, and proper speech are presented as foundational questions. It implies that access to life-sustaining resources (water) is tied to discernment, humility, and dharmic understanding.
At the lake episode in the Vana Parva, the Yakṣa confronts the seeker and sets a condition: before drinking the water, he must answer a set of probing questions. This verse introduces four of those questions, establishing the test of wisdom and dharma.