Shloka 26
Cyavana’s Yogic Display and Kuśika’s Recognition of Tapas (च्यवन-योगप्रभावः कुशिकस्य तपःप्रशंसा च)
व्यवन उवाच उत्तिष्ठाम्येष राजेन्द्र सम्यक् क्रीतो5स्मि तेडनघ । गोभिस्तुल्यं न पश्यामि धनं किंचिदिहाच्युत
vyavana uvāca | uttiṣṭhāmy eṣa rājendra samyak krīto 'smi te 'nagha | gobhis tulyaṁ na paśyāmi dhanaṁ kiñcid ihācyuta ||
च्यवन ने कहा—निष्पाप राजेन्द्र! अब मैं उठता हूँ। आपने उचित मूल्य देकर मुझे खरीदा है। मर्यादा से कभी न च्युत होने वाले नरेश! मैं इस लोक में गौओं के समान दूसरा कोई धन नहीं देखता।
व्यवन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse affirms an ethical valuation of wealth: cattle are presented as the foremost form of worldly wealth, and it also stresses fairness in transactions—being ‘properly purchased’—as part of righteous conduct.
Vyavana addresses a king, acknowledges that the king has paid a fair price to obtain him, and then declares his view that no wealth in the world equals cattle, framing the statement within ideals of propriety and steadfastness.