Shloka 19

Adhyaya 7 — Harishchandra Tested by Vishvamitra: The Gift of the Kingdom and the Pandava Curse-Backstory

Sanskrit

विश्वामित्र उवाच ।

दातव्यं कस्य के रक्ष्याः कैरुद्धव्यं च ते नृप ।

क्षिप्रमेतत् समाचक्ष्व यद्यधर्मभयं तव ॥

Transliteration

viśvāmitra uvāca dātavyaṃ kasya ke rakṣyāḥ kair uddhavyaṃ ca te nṛpa | kṣipram etat samācakṣva yady adharmabhayaṃ tava ||

Translation

قال فيشواميترا: «أيها الملك، لمن ينبغي أن تُعطى العطايا؟ ومن الذين يجب حمايتهم، وبمَن ينبغي إنقاذهم؟ أخبرني سريعًا—إن كنت حقًّا تخشى الأدهرما (اللا-دارما).»

Speakers

• Viśvāmitra addressing a king (nṛpa) within a dharma-testing dialogue frame (exact king name not present in this verse)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Rajadharma (duties of kingship)
• Dāna (charity)
• Rakṣaṇa (protection of subjects)
• Social ethics