Shloka 13
Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala
कुतः पुष्टानि मित्राणि कुतोऽर्थः साम्प्रतं मम ।
प्रतिग्रहः प्रदुष्टो मे नाहं यायामधः कथम् ॥
kutaḥ puṣṭāni mitrāṇi kuto ’rthaḥ sāmprataṁ mama | pratigrahaḥ praduṣṭo me nāhaṁ yāyām adhaḥ katham ||
«D’où, à présent, pourrai-je soutenir mes amis, et d’où me viendra la richesse en ce temps? Mon acceptation des dons s’est souillée—comment ne sombrerais-je pas vers le bas?»
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FAQs
The verse highlights a dharmic anxiety: when rightful means (artha) are lost, one is tempted toward expedient but ethically compromised support (e.g., improper gift-taking). The king recognizes that ‘pratigraha’ can become morally contaminating when taken from unfit sources or against one’s station, and fears the karmic ‘downward’ consequence (adhaḥ).
This verse is not directly sarga/pratisarga/vaṁśa/manvantara/vaṁśānucarita in content; it belongs to the narrative and ethical-dialogue frame (ākhyāna) that sets up the later revelation. Indirectly, it supports vaṁśānucarita/character-history themes by portraying the moral crisis of a ruler.
Esoterically, the ‘downward fall’ (adhaḥ) symbolizes the descent of consciousness when one seeks sustenance through adharma. The recognition that even survival-driven actions can ‘taint’ (praduṣṭa) points to the need for a higher refuge—prefiguring the turn toward the Goddess’s grace and the restoration of inner sovereignty.