Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 6

Śāṇḍilī–Sumanā-saṃvāda: Sat-strī-samudācāra and Pati-dharma

Conduct of the Virtuous Wife

Devanagari script

तमुत्स्मयन्तं सम्प्रेक्ष्य मैत्रेय: कृष्णमब्रवीत्‌ । कारण ब्रूहि धर्मात्मन्‌ व्यस्मयिष्ठा: कुतश्न ते

Transliteration

tam utsmayantaṁ samprekṣya maitreyaḥ kṛṣṇam abravīt | kāraṇaṁ brūhi dharmātman vyasmayiṣṭhāḥ kutaś ca te ||

Translation

弥勒耶见他含笑，便对黑天说道：“具法之人啊，请告知缘由。你因何缘故忽然露出这般笑意？”

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उत्स्मयन्तम्: smiling
• उत्स्मयन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्स्मयन्त् (उत् + स्मि धातु, शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सम्प्रेक्ष्य: having looked at / seeing
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + ईक्ष्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), Parasmaipada (usage)

• मैत्रेयः: Maitreya
• मैत्रेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृष्णम्: Kṛṣṇa (here: Vyāsa, the dark one)
• कृष्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said / spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कारणम्: the reason, cause
• कारणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धर्मात्मन्: O righteous-souled one
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विस्मयिष्ठाः: most wondrous / greatly amazed (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मयिष्ठ (विस्मय + इष्ठ, superlative)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कुतः: from where? why? how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः

• नु: indeed / pray (interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु

• ते: of you / your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: 2nd, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Krishna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models dharmic inquiry: even a subtle expression like a smile in a great person is treated as meaningful, prompting respectful questioning to uncover its ethical or spiritual cause.

What is happening in the narrative?

Maitreya notices Krishna smiling and, intrigued, asks him directly to explain the reason for his sudden smile/astonishment.