Shloka 17
यद्यपि स्वेन रूपेण चरिष्यथ महीमिमाम् | नवो विज्ञास्यते वक्षित् त्रिषु लोकेषु भारत,“भरतनन्दन! यद्यपि तुम इस पृथ्वीपर इसी रूपसे विचरोगे, तो भी तीनों लोकोंमें कोई भी तुम्हें नहीं पहचान सकेगा
yady api svena rūpeṇa cariṣyatha mahīm imām | na vo vijñāsyate vakṣit triṣu lokeṣu bhārata ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Bhārata! Sekalipun engkau berjalan di bumi ini dengan rupa asalmu sendiri, namun tiada seorang pun akan dapat mengenalimu—demikian telah dinyatakan—di seluruh tiga alam.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse conveys an assurance of protection through concealment: even without changing outward appearance, circumstances (or a higher ordinance) can prevent recognition. Ethically, it supports the idea that safeguarding a righteous purpose may require secrecy, and that such protection can be sanctioned within dharma when it prevents unjust harm.
Vaiśampāyana reports a statement of assurance addressed to a Bhārata-descendant: the person(s) being addressed can move about on earth in their own form, yet no one across the three worlds will recognize them. The line functions as a narrative guarantee of anonymity and safety for the characters’ intended movement or mission.