Valmiki Ramayana 1.61.17-18: Bala Kanda, Sarga 61, Shlokas 17-18
शुनःशेफविक्रयः · The Sale of Śunaḥśepa for the Sacrifice
अविक्रेयं सुतं ज्येष्ठं भगवानाह भार्गवः ॥१७॥
ममापि दयितं विद्धि कनिष्ठं शुनकं नृप ।
तस्मात्कनीयसं पुत्रं न दास्ये तव पार्थिव ॥१८॥
avikreyaṃ sutaṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ bhagavān āha bhārgavaḥ ||17||
mamāpi dayitaṃ viddhi kaniṣṭhaṃ śunakaṃ nṛpa |
tasmāt kanīyasaṃ putraṃ na dāsye tava pārthiva ||18||
भगवान भार्गव ने कहा, बड़ा बेटा बिकने वाला नहीं है। राजा सुनो, छोटा बेटा शुनक मुझे बहुत प्यारा है। इसलिए मैं तुम्हे अपना छोटा बेटा नहीं दूंगा।
Venerable descendant of the Bhrugus (sage Richika) said that the eldest son cannot be sold. "O King! the youngest son, Sunaka, is my beloved son. You know, O King! for that reason I will not give my yougest son".
FAQs
Dharma is presented as a hierarchy of protected relationships: the father asserts limits on what can be exchanged, prioritizing duty and affection over transactional demand.
This is a repeated reading/tradition of the father’s refusal statement within the sarga transmission, emphasizing the same decision before the middle son speaks.
Consistency in stance—maintaining one’s declared principle when pressed by authority.
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