Shloka 11
Jatāyu’s Resistance, Sītā’s Traces, Kabandha’s Release, and the Path to Sugrīva (Āraṇyaka-parva 263)
क्षुधितो5स्मि ददस्वान्नं शीघ्रं मम नराधिप,वे मुनि कभी कहते कि 'राजन्! मैं बहुत भूखा हूँ, मुझे शीघ्र भोजन दो” ऐसा कहकर वे स्नान करनेके लिये चले जाते और बहुत देरके बाद लौटते थे। लौटकर वे कह देते--'मैं नहीं खाऊँगा; आज मुझे भूख नहीं है” ऐसा कहकर अदृश्य हो जाते थे
kṣudhito ’smi dadasvānnaṃ śīghraṃ mama narādhipa |
Vaiśampāyana said: “O king, I am hungry—give me food at once.” Yet the sage would then go away as if to bathe, return only after a long time, and declare, “I will not eat; today I have no hunger.” Having spoken thus, he would vanish from sight—testing the king’s patience, hospitality, and steadfastness in dharma rather than seeking mere nourishment.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights atithi-dharma and inner steadiness: a ruler’s righteousness is shown not only by giving, but by maintaining patience, respect, and consistency even when a guest’s behavior seems erratic or testing.
A sage tells the king he is hungry and demands food quickly, then delays by going to bathe, returns much later saying he will not eat, and finally disappears—suggesting a deliberate test of the king’s conduct and resolve.