Shloka 39
Nakula’s Declaration and the Uñchavṛtti Brāhmaṇa’s Superior Merit (Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 92)
जनमेजय उवाच को5सौ नकुलरूपेण शिरसा काज्चनेन वै । प्राह मानुषवद् वाचमेतत् पृष्टो वदस्व मे,जनमेजयने पूछा--मुने! सोनेके मस्तकसे युक्त वह नेवला कौन था, जो मनुष्योंकी- सी बोली बोलता था? मेरे इस प्रश्नका मुझे उत्तर दीजिये
janamejaya uvāca ko'sau nakularūpeṇa śirasā kāñcanena vai | prāha mānuṣavad vācam etat pṛṣṭo vadasva me ||
Janamejaya perguntou: “Ó muni, quem era aquela criatura que, na forma de um mangusto, com cabeça de ouro, falava com voz semelhante à humana? Já que te perguntei, dá-me a resposta.”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models dharmic inquiry: when a wondrous event bears on the moral assessment of a sacrifice, the listener seeks a clear explanation rather than accepting appearances. It emphasizes careful questioning to understand the ethical meaning behind extraordinary signs.
In the Ashvamedhika Parva’s dialogue frame, King Janamejaya asks the sage to identify a mysterious mongoose with a golden head that spoke like a human. This question sets up the explanation of the mongoose’s identity and the significance of its words in relation to the sacrificial context.