Shloka 5
Adhyaya 7 — Harishchandra Tested by Vishvamitra: The Gift of the Kingdom and the Pandava Curse-Backstory
स विहाय मृगं राजा मा भैषीरित्यभाषत ।
मयि शासति दुर्मेधाः कोऽयमन्यायवृत्तिमान् ॥
sa vihāya mṛgaṃ rājā mā bhaiṣīr ity abhāṣata | mayi śāsati durmedhāḥ ko 'yam anyāya-vṛttimān ||
Den Hirsch, den er verfolgte, aufgebend, sprach der König: „Fürchtet euch nicht.“ Dann fügte er hinzu: „Solange ich herrsche, wer ist der Tor, der Unrecht tut?“
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FAQs
A ruler’s dharma is protection (abhaya-dāna) and the restraint of adharma. The king’s first act is to remove fear—“mā bhaiṣīḥ”—and his second is to assert that injustice has no legitimate place under rightful governance.
This verse is best classified under ethical instruction and narrative illustration rather than the core pancalakṣaṇa topics (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita). It supports vaṃśānucarita-style royal conduct themes (exemplary behavior of rulers) within the broader narrative.
Symbolically, ‘abandoning the deer’ can indicate turning from pursuit of transient objects toward the higher duty of protecting beings. ‘While I rule’ represents the inner sovereignty of dharma: when discernment governs, unjust impulses (anyāya-vṛtti) are challenged and restrained.