Shloka 1.12.22

द्वादशः सर्गः — Aśvamedha-saṅkalpa (Daśaratha resolves on the Horse Sacrifice)

Devanagari script

गणिकास्तत्र गच्छन्तु रूपयौवनशालिनीः । प्रलोभ्य तमृषेः पुत्रमानयिष्यन्ति सत्कृतम् ॥

Transliteration

gaṇikāstatra gacchantu rūpayauvanaśālinīḥ | pralobhya tamṛṣeḥ putramānayiṣyanti satkṛtam ||

Translation

Let courtesans endowed with beauty and youth go there. Having allured the sage’s son, they will bring him here, treating him with honor.

Characters & Entities

• Rishyasringa
• Romapada
• Ganikas

FAQs

Why was this strategy employed to bring Rishyasringa?

King Romapada's kingdom was suffering from a severe drought, and it was prophesied that only the presence of the chaste sage Rishyasringa could bring rain. Since the sage had never seen women, the ministers devised a plan to use courtesans to allure him and bring him to the capital to perform the necessary rites.

Does this verse imply deception?

While it involves 'alluring' (pralobhya), the verse explicitly mentions 'satkṛtam' (treated with honor/respect). The intent was not to harm the sage but to save the kingdom, balancing the ethical complexity of the means with the necessity of the King's duty (Rajadharma) to his subjects.