Shloka 8
Cyavana’s Yogic Display and Kuśika’s Recognition of Tapas (च्यवन-योगप्रभावः कुशिकस्य तपःप्रशंसा च)
नहुष उवाच सहस्राणां शतं विप्र निषादेभ्य: प्रदीयताम् । स्यादिदं भगवन् मूल्यं कि वान्यन्मन्यते भवान्
nahuṣa uvāca | sahasrāṇāṃ śataṃ vipra niṣādebhyaḥ pradīyatām | syād idaṃ bhagavan mūlyaṃ ki vā anyan manyate bhavān ||
नहुष ने कहा—विप्र! इन निषादों को एक हजार में से सौ मुद्राएँ दे दीजिए। भगवन्! यही मूल्य हो; अथवा आप कोई अन्य व्यवस्था उचित समझते हों तो बताइए।
नहुष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical negotiation and valuation: a ruler proposes a concrete form of compensation and then defers to a brāhmaṇa’s judgment, reflecting the ideal of seeking counsel and aligning transactions with dharma rather than mere power.
King Nahuṣa addresses a brāhmaṇa and proposes that a portion—‘a hundred out of a thousand’—be given to the Niṣādas, presenting it as the agreed ‘price’ or compensation, while inviting the brāhmaṇa to suggest a better alternative.