Mahabharata 3.46.39 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 46, Shloka 39

धृतराष्ट्र–संजय संवादः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Sañjaya on Arjuna’s Indraloka report and the political consequences

Devanagari script

यच्चेक्षितासि विस्पष्टं विशेषेण मया शुभे । तच्च कारणपूर्व हि शृणु सत्यं शुचिस्मिते

Transliteration

yac cekṣitāsi vispaṣṭaṁ viśeṣeṇa mayā śubhe | tac ca kāraṇapūrvaṁ hi śṛṇu satyaṁ śucismite ||

Translation

ശുഭേ, ശുചിസ്മിതേ! ഞാൻ നിന്നെ പ്രത്യേകമായി വ്യക്തമായി, സ്ഥിരദൃഷ്ടിയോടെ നോക്കിയതിന് ഒരു കാരണം ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു. കേൾക്കൂ; ഞാൻ നിന്നോട് സത്യം പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• {'yat': 'that which

• what', 'cekṣitāsi (ca + īkṣitā asi)': 'you were looked at

• you were gazed upon', 'vispaṣṭam': 'clearly

• unmistakably', 'viśeṣeṇa': 'especially

• with a specific emphasis', 'mayā': 'by me', 'śubhe': 'O auspicious one (vocative)', 'tat': 'that', 'ca': 'and', 'kāraṇa-pūrvam': 'preceded by a cause

• having a reason behind it', 'hi': 'indeed

• surely', 'śṛṇu': 'listen (imperative)', 'satyam': 'truth', 'śuci-smite': 'O one with a pure/bright smile (vocative)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Urvaśī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds satya (truthful speech) and accountability of intention: even a seemingly simple act like a fixed gaze is presented as having a definite cause, and the speaker commits to explaining it truthfully.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator (Vaiśampāyana) introduces a character’s explanation: he addresses Urvaśī respectfully and says that his earlier, clear, intent gaze had a specific reason, which he is now about to disclose truthfully.