Shloka 183
Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)
प्रीत: परमहृष्टात्मा यथावच्छूणु पार्थिव । राजन्! ऐसा कहकर अत्यन्त हर्षोत्फुल्ल हृदयसे मुनिने प्रेमपूर्वक उत्तम वाणीद्वारा सरस्वती देवीका स्तवन किया। उस स्तुतिको तुम यथार्थरूपसे सुनो
prītaḥ paramahṛṣṭātmā yathāvac chṛṇu pārthiva | rājan, etad uktvā munir atyanta-harṣotphulla-hṛdayena premṇā sarasvatī-devīṃ varayā vācā stutavān; tām stutiṃ tvaṃ yathārtha-rūpeṇa śṛṇu ||
外舍波耶那说道：“大王啊，请如实细听其经过。说罢，那位仙人——情意充盈，心中欢喜洋溢——以高雅之辞赞颂女神萨拉斯瓦蒂。请按其真实义旨聆听那篇颂歌。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights reverence for sacred speech and learning: truthful listening (yathāvat) and devotion expressed through noble words are presented as the proper way to receive and transmit spiritual and ethical knowledge.
Vaiśampāyana addresses the king and introduces the next section: after speaking, a sage—overjoyed—offers a hymn of praise to Goddess Sarasvatī, and the listener is urged to hear that stuti accurately and in its true meaning.