Shloka 4
Instruction to the Brahmin
The Greatness of Piṇḍa and Prasāda on Mount Nīla
तदा मे मनसि क्षिप्रं संशयः सुमहानभूत् । चतुर्भुजाः किमेते वै धनुर्बाणधरा नराः
tadā me manasi kṣipraṃ saṃśayaḥ sumahānabhūt | caturbhujāḥ kimete vai dhanurbāṇadharā narāḥ
تب میرے دل میں فوراً ایک بہت بڑا شک پیدا ہوا: “یہ چار بازو والے، کمان اور تیر تھامنے والے آدمی آخر کون ہیں؟”
Unspecified narrator (context-dependent within Adhyaya 18; likely a first-person speaker in the ongoing dialogue)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: mountain
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सुमहानभूत् → सु-महान् + अभूत्; किमेते → किम् + एते; धनुर्बाणधरा → धनुः + बाण + धराः (धनुर्बाणधराः = धनुर्बाणं धरन्ति ये); ‘धनुः’ का विसर्ग-सन्धि: धनुः + बाण → धनुर्-बाण.
FAQs
In Purāṇic literature, four arms commonly signal a divine or semi-divine nature and evoke Vaiṣṇava iconography; here it triggers the speaker’s doubt about the beings’ true identity.
The verse marks a transition into inquiry and revelation: the speaker’s confusion sets up an explanation of who these armed, four-armed figures are and why they have appeared.
The verse models discernment: when confronted with extraordinary appearances, one should inquire carefully rather than assume—opening the way for correct understanding (jñāna) through dialogue.