Shloka 8
कर्कोटक-उपदेशः
Karkoṭaka’s Counsel and Nala’s Concealment
पर्याप्त: परिहासो5यमेतावान् पुरुषर्षभ । भीताहमतिदुर्थर्ष दर्शयात्मानमीश्वर,'पुरुषश्रेष्ठ! यहाँ इतना ही परिहास बहुत है। अत्यन्त दुर्धर्ष वीर! मैं बहुत डर गयी हूँ। प्राणेश्वर! अब मुझे अपना दर्शन दीजिये
paryāptaḥ parihāso ’yam etāvān puruṣarṣabha | bhītāham atidurtharṣa darśayātmānam īśvara ||
Hỡi bậc trượng phu như ngưu vương giữa loài người! Đùa cợt đến thế là đủ rồi. Hỡi dũng sĩ khó ai dám xâm phạm, thiếp đã kinh hãi vô cùng. Hỡi chúa tể của sinh mệnh thiếp, xin hãy hiện thân cho thiếp được chiêm ngưỡng ngay lúc này.
ब॒हृदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral boundary for humor: teasing that causes fear should stop. It also frames a plea for reassurance—when anxiety arises, one seeks the trustworthy presence and clear self-revelation of the protector or beloved.
Bṛhadaśva, in the course of narration, voices a line where someone addressed as the ‘best of men’ has been playfully concealing or testing, and the frightened speaker asks that the joking end and that the person reveal himself and give direct reassurance.