Shloka 43
पुरोहितापचाराच्च तस्य राज्ञो यदृच्छया । न ववर्ष सहस्राक्षस्ततो5पीड्यन्त वै प्रजा:,उन्होंने जान-बूझकर एक ब्राह्मणके साथ मिथ्या व्यवहार किया--यह बात हमारे सुननेमें आयी है। इसी अपराधके कारण ब्राह्मणोंने राजा लोमपादको त्याग दिया था। राजाने पुरोहितपर मनमाना दोषारोपण किया था, इसलिये इन्द्रने उनके राज्यमें वर्षा बंद कर दी। इस अनावृष्टिके कारण प्रजाको बड़ा कष्ट होने लगा
purohitāpacārāc ca tasya rājño yadṛcchayā | na vavarṣa sahasrākṣas tato 'pīḍyanta vai prajāḥ ||
Because that king had, by a heedless lapse, committed an offence against his royal priest, Sahasrākṣa (Indra) did not send rain. As a result, the people were indeed afflicted—suffering under drought brought on by the ruler’s disregard for the sanctity of the priestly office and the moral order it upholds.
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s ethical failure—especially disrespect or wrongdoing toward the priestly office that safeguards ritual and moral order—can disrupt prosperity for the whole realm. The verse links personal misconduct in leadership to collective suffering, emphasizing responsibility and dharma in governance.
The speaker explains that Indra stopped sending rain because the king committed an offence against his purohita. The resulting drought causes severe distress among the people, establishing a cause-and-effect chain between the king’s wrongdoing and the kingdom’s calamity.