Shloka 84
अध्याय ७४: अक्रोध–क्षमा–निवासनीति
Chapter 74: Non-anger, Forbearance, and the Ethics of Residence
क्षितावटसि राजेन्द्र अन्तरिक्षे चराम्यहम् आवयोरन्तरं पश्य मेरुसर्षपयोरिव,राजेन्द्र! आप केवल पृथ्वीपर घूमते हैं, किंतु मैं आकाशमें भी चल सकती हूँ। तनिक ध्यानसे देखिये, मुझमें और आपमें सुमेरु पर्वत और सरसोंका-सा अन्तर है
kṣitāvaṭasi rājendra antarīkṣe carāmy aham | āvayor antaraṃ paśya meru-sarṣapayor iva ||
Duṣyanta said: “O king, you move upon the earth, but I can move even through the sky. Look carefully at the difference between us—it is like the gulf between Mount Meru and a mustard seed.”
दुष्यन्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how pride and claims of superiority can be expressed through striking similes; ethically, it invites reflection on humility and the responsible use of power and speech, especially in relationships involving status and authority.
Duṣyanta addresses a king and asserts a dramatic superiority: while the other is confined to moving on earth, he claims the ability to move through the sky, portraying the difference between them as immense—like Mount Meru compared to a tiny mustard seed.