Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 14
अध्याय ५६ — च्यवन–कुशिकसंवादः
Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Lineage, Conflict, and Transmission
अथ स्नात: सः भगवान् सिंहासनगतः: प्रभु: । दर्शयामास कुशिकं सभार्य कुरुनन्दन,कुरुनन्दन! तदनन्तर शक्तिशाली भगवान् च्यवन मुनि पत्नीसहित राजा कुशिकको स्नान करके सिंहासनपर बैठे दिखायी दिये
atha snātaḥ sa bhagavān siṃhāsanagataḥ prabhuḥ | darśayāmāsa kuśikaṃ sabhāryaḥ kurunandana ||
Bhishma said: Then that venerable and powerful lord, having bathed, ascended the royal throne and revealed himself to King Kushika together with his wife, O delight of the Kurus.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the primacy of dharma expressed through disciplined purity and spiritual authority: a sage’s tapas and proper conduct can command reverence and shape royal behavior, reminding rulers to honor righteousness over pride or power.
After bathing, the revered figure (in this episode, the powerful sage) takes his seat on a throne and makes himself visible to King Kuśika along with the king’s wife, marking a formal, authoritative moment of encounter between ascetic power and royal presence.