Shloka 25

Cavana’s Tests of Kuśika and the Queen (अध्याय ५३: च्यवन–कुशिक-परिक्षा)

Devanagari script

इत्युक्तो मत्स्यमध्यस्थश्ष्यवनोवाक्यमत्रवीत्‌ । यो मेडद्य परम: कामस्तं शृणुध्वं समाहिता:

Transliteration

ity ukto matsya-madhya-sthaḥ śyavano vākyam abravīt | yo me ’dya paramaḥ kāmas taṁ śṛṇudhvaṁ samāhitāḥ ||

Translation

Nang masabi iyon, nagsalita ang pantas na si Cyavana, na nakaupo sa gitna ng mga isda: “Kayong mga mangingisda, makinig nang buong pagtuon sa aking pinakamalaking hangarin sa sandaling ito.”

Word by Word

• {'iti': 'thus

• in this manner', 'uktaḥ': 'addressed

• spoken to', 'matsya': 'fish', 'madhya': 'middle

• midst', 'sthaḥ': 'standing/sitting

• situated', 'śyavanaḥ': 'Cyavana (name of a sage)', 'vākyam': 'speech

• statement', 'abravīt': 'said

• spoke', 'yaḥ': 'which

• what', 'me': 'to me

• my', 'adya': 'today

• at this time', 'paramaḥ': 'highest

• supreme', 'kāmaḥ': 'desire

• intention', 'tam': 'that', 'śṛṇudhvaṁ': 'hear

• listen (plural imperative)', 'samāhitāḥ': 'collected

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Cyavana (Śyavana)
• fishermen (mallāḥ)
• fish (matsyāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds ethical communication: before stating a request or desire, the speaker calls for attentive, composed listening. It implies that right understanding and right action depend on disciplined attention and clarity of intention.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being spoken to, the sage Cyavana—described as seated amid fish—addresses the fishermen and asks them to listen carefully as he is about to state his most important wish at that moment.