Shloka 1.59.2

विश्वामित्रस्य शरणागति-प्रशंसा तथा वासिष्ठपुत्र-शापः (Visvamitra grants refuge; the curse upon Vasishta’s sons)

Devanagari script

ऐक्ष्वाक स्वागतं वत्स जानामि त्वां सुधार्मिकम् ।शरणं ते भविष्यामि मा भैषीर्नृपपुङ्गव।।1.59.2।।

Transliteration

śva-māṃsa-niyatāhārā muṣṭikā nāma nirghṛṇāḥ | vikṛtāś ca virūpāś ca lokān anucarantu imān || 1.59.19 ||

Translation

Let them be born as the merciless Muṣṭikas, bound to a diet of dog-flesh—hideous and deformed—and let them wander through these worlds.

Context

"O Descendant of Ikshvakus, O child, welcome. I know you as highly righteous. O eminent among kings! fear not. I offer you refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Muṣṭikas
• Vasiṣṭha’s sons

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

The verse frames moral downfall as a loss of human dignity across rebirths; ethically, it also serves as a warning about the destructive chain from insult to wrath to dehumanizing punishment.

What is the narrative situation?

The curse continues, detailing the form and condition of the offenders’ future births.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Implicitly, compassion (dayā) and restraint are the virtues absent here—highlighting what dharma requires to prevent such outcomes.