Shloka 51
कपिल–स्यूमरश्मि संवादः
Kapila and Syūmaraśmi on Renunciation, Householder Support, and Epistemic Authority
एक समयकी बात है, ऋषियों और यतियोंने राजा नहुषके पास जाकर निवेदन किया कि तुमने माता गौ और प्रजापति वृषभका वध किया है, नहुष! यह तुम्हारे द्वारा न करनेयोग्य पापकर्म किया गया है, तुम्हारे इस कुकृत्यके कारण हम सब लोगोंको बड़ी व्यथा हो रही है। जाजले! ऐसा कहकर नहुषके द्वारा प्रशंसित उन महाभाग ऋषियोंने पापको एक सौ एक रोगोंके रूपमें परिणत करके समस्त प्राणियोंपर डाल दिया, राजा नहुषको भ्रूणहत्यारा बताया और स्पष्ट कह दिया कि हमलोग तुम्हारे यज्ञमें हविष्यकी आहुति नहीं देंगे ।। इत्युक्त्वा ते महात्मान: सर्वे तत्त्वार्थदर्शिन: । ऋषयो यतय: शान्तास्तपसा प्रत्यवेदयन्,ऐसा कहकर उन समस्त तत्त्वार्थदर्शी महात्माओंने तपस्या (ध्यान) द्वारा सारी बातें जान लीं और नहुषके अज्ञानवश वह पाप होनेके कारण उन्हें निर्दोष पाकर वे सब ऋषि और यति शान्त हो गये
ity uktvā te mahātmānaḥ sarve tattvārthadarśinaḥ | ṛṣayo yatayaḥ śāntās tapasā pratyavedayan ||
Once, the rishis and yatis went to King Nahusha and petitioned him: “Nahusha! You have slain Mother Cow (Gau) and Prajāpati Vrishabha. This is a sinful deed that you ought not to have done. Because of this misdeed, we all suffer grievously.” Having spoken so, those greatly blessed seers—whom Nahusha had praised—transformed that sin into one hundred and one diseases and cast them upon all creatures. They branded King Nahusha a slayer of the unborn (bhrūṇa-hatyā) and declared plainly: “We shall not offer the havis oblation in your yajña.” Then those great-souled ones—serene rishis and yatis, beholders of truth—came to know the whole matter through the power of austerity and contemplative insight. Seeing that the fault had arisen from Nahusha’s ignorance and not from deliberate intent, they held him blameless in that respect and were pacified.
तुलाधार उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral evaluation is not only about the external act but also about knowledge and intention. The seers, using tapas-born insight, recognize that a wrong arose from ignorance and therefore temper condemnation with discernment, illustrating dharma as careful, truth-seeing judgment.
After censuring Nahusha for a grave transgression, the ṛṣis and yatīs employ austerity and contemplative insight to ascertain the full truth. Understanding the role of ignorance and finding no deliberate culpability in that respect, they become pacified and withdraw their agitation.