Shloka 66
Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala
पक्षिण ऊचुः तथैव तस्य तद्वित्तं बद्ध्वोत्तरपटे ततः ।
प्रगृह्य बालकं मात्रा सहैकस्थमबन्धयत् ॥
pakṣiṇa ūcuḥ tathaiva tasya tadvittaṃ baddhvottarapaṭe tataḥ / pragṛhya bālakaṃ mātrā sahaikasthamabandhayat
Die Vögel sprachen: „Ebenso band er sein Vermögen in ein Obergewand, nahm dann das Kind zusammen mit seiner Mutter und fesselte beide an einem Ort.“
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FAQs
The episode stresses pragmatic responsibility: in moments of danger or transition, one must secure resources and ensure the safety of those under one’s care (mother and child). Dharma here is not abstract—protection (rakṣaṇa) and orderly action are presented as ethical necessities.
This verse functions primarily as Ācāra/Dharma-upadeśa embedded in itihāsa-style narration rather than a direct treatment of sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita. If mapped loosely to the pañcalakṣaṇa framework, it belongs to vaṃśānucarita-type storytelling technique (exemplary conduct in narrative), not cosmological enumeration.
Symbolically, ‘tying up wealth’ suggests consolidating scattered energies and priorities; ‘binding mother and child together in one place’ can be read as safeguarding the vulnerable core (dependents / inner innocence) while moving through uncertainty. The teaching implies that dharma begins with protecting life and relational duty before pursuing broader aims.