Adhyaya 20 — Ritadhvaja’s Companionship with the Naga Princes and the Origin of the Horse Kuvalaya
प्रत्युवाच च राजानं समुपेत्याश्रमं मम ।
कोऽपि दैत्याधमो राजन् विध्वंसयति पापकृत् ॥
pratyuvāca ca rājānaṃ samupetyāśramaṃ mama | ko 'pi daityādhamo rājan vidhvaṃsayati pāpakṛt ||
Nachdem er sich meiner Einsiedelei genähert hatte, antwortete er dem König: „O König, unter den Daityas verwüstet ein niederträchtiger, sündiger Wicht diesen Ort.“
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Adharma is characterized not only by overt violence but by the deliberate disruption of sacred practices (tapas, mauna, dhyāna). The king’s dharma includes protection of ascetics and sanctuaries, preserving the conditions for spiritual pursuit.
Primarily Itihāsa/Ākhyāna (didactic narrative) rather than direct sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita content; it supports dharma-teaching through story.
The ‘demon’ functions as a symbol of inner vighna (obstruction)—restlessness and intrusive tendencies that ‘ravage’ the hermitage of the mind, undermining steadiness in contemplation.