Shloka 18
Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances
शार्टूल उवाच सौम्य विज्ञातरूपस्त्वं गच्छ यात्रां मया सह । व्रियन्तामीप्सिता भोगा: परिहार्याश्व पुष्कला:
śārṭūla uvāca
saumya vijñātarūpas tvaṃ gaccha yātrāṃ mayā saha |
vriyantām īpsitā bhogāḥ parihāryāś ca puṣkalāḥ ||
沙尔图拉说道：“温和之人，我已识得你的真貌。来吧——与我同行远行。你所希求的享乐，当为你备办；凡不合你意者，尽可弃置——而且供给丰厚有余。”
शार्टूल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights discernment in enjoyment: one may accept what is truly desired or beneficial while deliberately setting aside what is displeasing or unsuitable. In the ethical atmosphere of Śānti Parva, such language often frames a test of values—whether one is swayed by offered pleasures or remains guided by restraint and right judgment.
Śārṭūla addresses someone respectfully as ‘saumya,’ says he recognizes the person’s identity, and invites him to accompany him on a journey. He offers to arrange desired pleasures in abundance and to discard whatever is not liked—an invitation that can function as hospitality and also as a potential lure toward indulgence.