Shloka 24
Kuvalāśva’s Lineage and Uttaṅka’s Petition concerning Dhundhu (धुन्धु-प्रसङ्गः)
सर्वत्र मण्डूकवध: क्रियतामिति यो मयार्थी स॒ मां मृतमण्ड्रकोपायनमादायोपतिष्ठेदिति,“राजाने उस वापीमें रानीकी बहुत खोज की, परंतु वह कहीं दिखायी न दी। तब उन्होंने बावलीका सारा जल निकलवा दिया। इसके बाद एक बिलके मुँहपर कोई मेढक दीख पड़ा। इससे राजाको बड़ा क्रोध हुआ और उन्होंने आज्ञा दे दी कि *सर्वत्र मेढकोंका वध किया जाय। जो मुझसे मिलना चाहे, वह मरे हुए मेढकका ही उपहार लेकर मेरे पास आवे'
sarvatra maṇḍūkavadhaḥ kriyatām iti yo mayārthī sa māṃ mṛta-maṇḍūka-upāyanam ādāya upatiṣṭhed iti |
Sang raja memerintahkan, “Laksanakan pembunuhan katak di mana-mana. Siapa pun yang hendak menghadapku harus datang membawa persembahan seekor katak mati.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how krodha (anger) can corrupt dharma: a ruler, instead of investigating and judging proportionately, issues an indiscriminate order of violence and even normalizes it by making it a condition for audience. The ethical warning is against collective punishment and impulsive cruelty in governance.
After failing to find the queen in the well and draining its water, the king sees a frog at a burrow’s mouth, becomes furious, and commands that frogs be killed everywhere. He further decrees that anyone wishing to meet him must bring a dead frog as an offering.