Text 22
evaṁ vikalpito rājan
viduṣā munināpi saḥ
praśrayāvanato ’bhyāha
prajā-kāmas tato munim
evam — thus; vikalpitaḥ — questioned; rājan — O King Parīkṣit; viduṣā — greatly learned; muninā — by the philosopher; api — although; saḥ — he (King Citraketu); praśraya-avanataḥ — being bent low due to humility; abhyāha — replied; prajā-kāmaḥ — desiring offspring; tataḥ — thereafter; munim — to the great sage.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King Parīkṣit, although the great sage Aṅgirā knew everything, he inquired from the King in this way. Thus King Citraketu, desiring a son, bent low in great humility and spoke to the great sage as follows.
Since the face is the index to the mind, a saintly person can study the condition of one’s mind by seeing his face. When Aṅgirā Ṛṣi remarked about the King’s discolored face, King Citraketu explained the cause of his anxiety as follows.