Shloka 9
ऋभु-निदाघ-संवादः — अधः-ऊर्ध्व-दृष्टान्तेन अद्वैतबोधः (राजा-गज-उपमा) तथा मोक्षफलश्रुति
तत् कथ्यतां महाभाग विशेषो भवतानयोः ज्ञातुम् इच्छाम्य् अहं को ऽत्र गजः को वा नराधिपः
tat kathyatāṃ mahābhāga viśeṣo bhavatānayoḥ jñātum icchāmy ahaṃ ko 'tra gajaḥ ko vā narādhipaḥ
Maka katakanlah, wahai yang mulia dan beruntung, perbedaan yang khas di antara keduanya. Aku ingin mengetahui dengan jelas: di sini yang manakah gajah, dan yang manakah raja penguasa manusia.
A questioning interlocutor in the narrative (addressing a revered personage as ‘mahābhāga’); exact identification varies by recension/edition
FAQs
The verse frames kingship as something to be recognized by defining qualities, aligning royal sovereignty with dharma rather than mere appearance or power.
By posing a direct question—“which is the elephant and which is the king?”—the text invites criteria-based judgment, a common Purana technique for conveying ethical and social order.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s framework treats righteous kingship as part of Vishnu’s sustaining power (sthiti), where proper rule mirrors the divine maintenance of universal order.