Shloka 46
Ṛśyaśṛṅgopākhyāna-praveśaḥ — Lomāśa narrates the origins of Ṛśyaśṛṅga and the Anga drought (ऋश्यशृङ्गोपाख्यान-प्रवेशः)
तत्र त्वेको मुनिवरस्तं राजानमुवाच ह । कुपितास्तव राजेन्द्र ब्राह्मणा निष्कृतिं चर,उन्हीं ब्राह्मणोंमें एक श्रेष्ठ महर्षि भी थे। उन्होंने राजासे कहा--'राजेन्द्र! तुम्हारे ऊपर ब्राह्मण कुपित हैं; इसके लिये तुम प्रायश्चित्त करो"
tatra tv eko munivaras taṁ rājānam uvāca ha | kupitās tava rājendra brāhmaṇā niṣkṛtiṁ cara ||
There, one eminent sage addressed the king: “O best of kings, the Brahmins are angered with you. Therefore, undertake expiation and make amends.” The statement frames royal duty as accountability before spiritual and moral authority, urging the ruler to restore harmony through prescribed atonement rather than force or denial.
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must respond to moral and spiritual censure with humility and corrective action. When Brahmins (symbolizing learned ethical authority) are offended, the king’s dharma is to perform niṣkṛti—recognized expiation—to restore social and cosmic order rather than asserting power.
In the given scene, an eminent sage among the Brahmins directly addresses the king, informing him that the Brahmins are angry with him and instructing him to undertake expiation. The moment functions as a moral intervention, redirecting the king toward reconciliation and dharmic repair.