Shloka 27
Aṣṭāvakra–Kahoda Upākhyāna: Śvetaketu’s Āśrama, Sarasvatī, and the Origin of Aṣṭāvakra
पुनश्चोत्कृत्य मांसानि राजा प्रादादुशीनर:,किंतु दूसरे पलड़ेमें रखा हुआ कबूतर उस मांसकी अपेक्षा अधिक भारी निकला, तब महाराज उशीनरने पुनः अपना मांस काटकर चढ़ाया। इस प्रकार बार-बार करनेपर भी जब वह मांस कबूतरके बराबर न हुआ, तब सारा मांस काट लेनेके पश्चात् वे स्वयं ही तराजूपर चढ़ गये
punaś cotkṛtya māṃsāni rājā prādād uśīnaraḥ | kintu dvitīye palaḍe sthāpitaḥ kapotaḥ tāni māṃsāni atikramya gurutaro babhūva | tataḥ mahārāja uśīnaro punaḥ punaḥ svamāṃsaṃ nikṛtya āropayām āsa | evaṃ bahuśaḥ kṛte'pi yadā tat māṃsaṃ kapotasya tulyaṃ na babhūva, tadā sarvamāṃsaṃ nikṛtya sa svayam eva tulāyām āruroha ||
Lomaśa said: King Uśīnara again cut off flesh from his own body and placed it on the scale. Yet the dove in the other pan proved heavier than that flesh. Therefore the great king repeatedly cut and offered more of his own flesh. When, even after doing so again and again, the flesh still did not equal the dove’s weight, he cut away all he could and finally stepped onto the balance himself.
लोगमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma is to protect one who seeks refuge, even at great personal cost. The episode highlights uncompromising commitment to compassion, truth, and the ethical duty of sheltering the vulnerable.
To save the dove, King Uśīnara offers his own flesh on a balance as a substitute. The dove remains heavier each time, so the king continues cutting and offering more until he finally places his own body on the scale, demonstrating total self-offering to uphold his pledge.