Adhyaya 7 — Harishchandra Tested by Vishvamitra: The Gift of the Kingdom and the Pandava Curse-Backstory
पक्षिण ऊचुः प्रहृष्टेनैव मनसा सोऽविकारमुखो नृपः ।
तस्यार्षेर्वचनं श्रुत्वा तथेत्याह कृताञ्जलिः ॥
pakṣiṇa ūcuḥ prahṛṣṭenaiva manasā so ’vikāra-mukho nṛpaḥ | tasyarṣer vacanaṃ śrutvā tathety āha kṛtāñjaliḥ ||
Burung-burung berkata: Dengan hati yang sungguh bersukacita, raja itu—wajahnya tetap tenang tanpa gelisah—setelah mendengar sabda sang resi, menjawab dengan tangan terkatup, “Tathāstu, demikianlah.”
{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
The verse models ideal receptivity to dharmic counsel: inner gladness (prahṛṣṭa-manas) paired with outer steadiness (avikāra-mukha). The king’s ‘tathā’ and añjali indicate humility, disciplined ego, and readiness to act on wise instruction—an ethical template for rulers and householders alike.
This verse belongs primarily to Ākhyāna (narrative/exemplum) and Dharma-upadeśa (instruction on conduct) rather than to Sarga/Pratisarga/Manvantara/Vaṃśa. It functions as a framing-dialogue moment that supports the Purāṇa’s didactic purpose.
The ‘unchanged face’ signifies mastery over reactive emotions—an inner yogic steadiness—while the pleased mind suggests alignment with ṛta/dharma. Exoterically it is etiquette; esoterically it is the integration of serenity (śama) with willing assent (saṅkalpa) to a higher teaching.