Shloka 27
अध्याय ५६ — च्यवन–कुशिकसंवादः
Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Lineage, Conflict, and Transmission
पुनरेव च विप्रर्षि: प्रोवाच कुशिकं नूपम् | सभार्यों मां रथेनाशु वह यत्र ब्रवीम्यहम्
punar eva ca viprarṣiḥ provāca kuśikaṃ nṛpam | sa-bhāryo māṃ rathenāśu vaha yatra bravīmy aham ||
Bhishma said: “Then again the brahmarshi spoke to King Kushika: ‘Together with your wife, yoke yourselves to the chariot and swiftly carry me wherever I command.’ In the narrative, this command follows a period of meticulous service and testing; when the sage finds no fault in the king’s conduct, he intensifies the trial, pressing the ruler to demonstrate unwavering humility, obedience, and self-mastery—ethical virtues that, in this context, are treated as higher than royal pride or comfort.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic discipline through humility and service: even a king must restrain ego and submit to righteous testing by a sage, showing that inner virtue and obedience to ethical authority outweigh status and comfort.
After being served and observed, the sage addresses King Kushika again and orders him—along with his wife—to yoke themselves to a chariot and carry the sage swiftly wherever he commands, escalating the test of the king’s patience, devotion, and self-control.