Adhyaya 69 — The King’s Neglect of His Wife and the Restoration of Dharma
आलोच्याज्ञापयेत्युक्ते ततो ज्ञातं मयापि तत् ।
ततो न दत्तवानर्घमहं तुभ्यं विधानतः ॥
ālocyājñāpayety ukte tato jñātaṃ mayāpi tat | tato na dattavān argham ahaṃ tubhyaṃ vidhānataḥ ||
যেতিয়া কোৱা হ’ল—“বিচাৰ কৰি তাৰপিছত আদেশ দিয়া”—সেই কথাও মোৰ জ্ঞাত হ’ল। সেয়ে বিধিমতে মই তোমাক অৰ্ঘ্য (সন্মানাৰ্পণ) দিয়া নাছিলোঁ।
Honor (arghya) is not merely social courtesy; it is dharmically conditioned. The sage implies that ethical standing affects ritual exchange—hospitality is sacred, but it is also governed by discernment and rule.
Dharma instruction within Manvantara narration: it uses a king–sage exchange to teach how adharmic acts can disrupt ritual entitlement and reciprocity.
Arghya symbolizes the offering of one’s reverence and subtle ‘merit-flow’ to another. Withholding it ‘according to rule’ suggests that spiritual economy follows lawfulness (ṛta/dharma), not mere sentiment.