Shloka 16
खरस्य क्रोधः — शूर्पणखावृत्तान्तकथनम्
Khara’s Wrath and Śūrpaṇakhā’s Report
गन्धर्वराजप्रतिमौ पार्थिवव्यञ्जनान्वितौ।देवौ वा मानुषौ वा तौ न तर्कयितुमुत्सहे।।।।
gandharvarāja-pratimau pārthiva-vyañjanānvitau | devau vā mānuṣau vā tau na tarkayitum utsahe ||
Mereka tampak bagaikan raja di kalangan Gandharva, lengkap dengan tanda-tanda kebesaran; aku tidak berani meneka sama ada mereka dewa atau manusia.
They are kings of the gandharvas with all royal insignia. I was not able to discern whether they are gods or humans.
FAQs
Intellectual honesty: when knowledge is uncertain, one should not assert false certainty—aligning speech with satya.
Shurpanakha emphasizes the extraordinary, almost superhuman appearance of the two brothers.
Truthfulness through restraint in claims—admitting uncertainty rather than exaggerating as fact.