Shloka 20
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
ततस्तं मणिभद्रस्तु पुनर्वचनमब्रवीत् | देवानामेव वचनात् कुण्डधारं महाद्युतिम्,तब मणिभद्रने देवताओंकी ही आज्ञासे महातेजस्वी कुण्डधारके प्रति पुन: यह बात कही
tatas taṃ maṇibhadras tu punar vacanam abravīt | devānām eva vacanāt kuṇḍadhāraṃ mahādyutim |
แล้วมณิภัทรจึงกล่าวกับกุณฑธารผู้รุ่งโรจน์อีกครั้ง โดยเป็นไปตามพระบัญชาของเหล่าเทวะเท่านั้น
कुण्डधार उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical principle that a messenger’s speech gains binding force when it is grounded in higher authority—here, the gods’ command—implying that the forthcoming instruction should be received as dharma-oriented guidance rather than as a private view.
Maṇibhadra speaks again to the radiant Kuṇḍadhāra, explicitly stating that he is speaking on the gods’ instruction, setting up the next portion of the dialogue as a divinely authorized message.