Shloka 17
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 178 — Royal Contestants Assemble; Cosmic Witnesses; The Bow Remains Unstrung
क्षत्रियाणां तदा तात कारणान्तरदर्शनात् । ततो महीतल तात क्षत्रियेण यदृच्छया,तात! कुछ दूसरे-दूसरे कारणोंका विचार करके उस समय उन्होंने क्षत्रियोंको धन प्रदान किया था। वत्स! तदनन्तर किसी क्षत्रियने अकस्मात् धरती खोदते-खोदते किसी भुगुवंशीके घरमें गड़ा हुआ धन पा लिया। तब सभी श्रेष्ठ क्षत्रियोंने एकत्र होकर उस धनको देखा
kṣatriyāṇāṃ tadā tāta kāraṇāntaradarśanāt | tato mahītale tāta kṣatriyeṇa yadṛcchayā ||
Vasiṣṭha said: “Dear child, considering other intervening reasons at that time, they granted wealth to the Kṣatriyas. Then, on the surface of the earth, a certain Kṣatriya, by sheer chance while digging, discovered treasure buried in the house of a Bhṛgu-descendant. Thereupon the foremost Kṣatriyas assembled together and examined that wealth.”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage foregrounds dharmic scrutiny over wealth: even when riches are obtained by chance, rightful ownership and social-ethical context must be examined collectively rather than claimed impulsively.
Vasiṣṭha narrates that wealth had been granted to Kṣatriyas for certain reasons; later, a Kṣatriya accidentally uncovers buried treasure in a Bhārgava household, prompting leading Kṣatriyas to gather and inspect the find—setting up a question of rightful claim and proper conduct.