Shloka 17
Yogakṣema, Purohita, and the Mucukunda–Vaiśravaṇa Dialogue (योगक्षेम–पुरोहित–मुचुकुन्दवैश्रवणसंवादः)
नाच्छिन्दे चाप्यनिर्दिष्टमिति जानीहि पार्थिव । प्रशाधि पृथिवीं कृत्स्नां मद्दत्तामखिलामिमाम् | एवमुक्त: प्रत्युवाच मुचुकुन्दो महीपति:
nācchinde cāpyanirdiṣṭam iti jānīhi pārthiva | praśādhi pṛthivīṁ kṛtsnāṁ maddattām akhilām imām || evam uktaḥ pratyuvāca mucukundo mahīpatiḥ |
Ketahuilah, wahai raja: apa yang tidak ditetapkan bagiku, tidak akan kurampas. Maka perintahlah seluruh bumi ini—seluruhnya kini kuanugerahkan kepadamu. Setelah demikian diucapkan, Raja Mucukunda pun menjawab.
धनद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sovereignty is not to be taken arbitrarily: a righteous ruler refrains from seizing what lacks explicit authorization. Rule and transfer of power are portrayed as dharma-bound acts requiring legitimate sanction, not mere force or convenience.
Dhanada (Kubera) addresses a king, stating he does not confiscate what has not been duly assigned, yet he grants the entire earth to him and instructs him to govern it. After this declaration, King Mucukunda begins his reply.