Shloka 2
Adhyāya 241: Guṇa-sṛṣṭi, Kṣetrajña-sākṣitva, and Śama through Ātma-jñāna (गुणसृष्टिः, क्षेत्रज्ञसाक्षित्वं, शमः)
एतद् वै श्रोतुमिच्छामि तद् भवान् प्रब्रवीतु मे । एतच्चान्योन्यवैरूप्ये वर्तेते प्रतिकूलत:
etad vai śrotum icchāmi tad bhavān prabravītu me | etac cānyonya-vairūpye vartete pratikūlataḥ ||
Śuka berkata: “Inilah yang benar-benar ingin aku dengar; maka mohon jelaskan kepadaku. Dan bagaimana pula hal-hal ini, melalui saling memesongkan dan saling bertentangan, berjalan dengan cara yang berlawanan?”
शुक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the dharmic method of learning: sincere inquiry and respectful request for clarification. It also raises an ethical-philosophical problem—why, when parties interact, mutual opposition and misrepresentation can make matters unfold ‘contrarily’—inviting a deeper explanation of causes, motives, and right understanding.
Śuka, as the speaker, asks his interlocutor to explain a point he is eager to understand. He specifically questions how a situation becomes marked by reciprocal distortion and antagonism, leading to adverse or contrary outcomes—setting up the next instruction or analysis in the dialogue.