Shloka 87
Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala
हरिश्चन्द्र उवाच नाहं चण्डालदासत्वमिच्छेयं सुविगर्हितम् ।
वरं सापाग्निना दग्धो न चण्डालवशं गतः ॥
hariścandra uvāca nāhaṃ caṇḍāla-dāsatvam iccheyaṃ suvigarhitaṃ | varaṃ sāpa-agninā dagdho na caṇḍāla-vaśaṃ gataḥ ||
Hariścandra dijo: «No deseo convertirme en esclavo de un Caṇḍāla, cosa del todo vergonzosa. Mejor que me queme el fuego de una maldición, antes que caer bajo el dominio de un Caṇḍāla».
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FAQs
The verse dramatizes steadfastness to one’s perceived dharma and personal honor under extreme pressure: the king prefers suffering (even the destructive consequence of a curse) over accepting a condition he regards as morally and socially degrading. It reflects the Purāṇic ideal of endurance and resolve in adversity, though its social valuation of ‘Caṇḍāla’ status mirrors the hierarchical assumptions of the period/genre.
Primarily aligns with Vaṃśānucarita/Carita (accounts of dynasties and exemplary lives) rather than sarga/pratisarga/manvantara. It functions as an edifying royal biography illustrating dharma through narrative.
Symbolically, ‘śāpa-agni’ (curse-fire) can be read as the purifying/consuming force of karmic consequence and inner trial, while ‘vaśa’ (subjugation) signifies loss of sovereignty over the self. The passage thus encodes an inner yogic-ethical stance: preserve inner autonomy and integrity even at the cost of outer pain.