Shloka 13
अम्बरीषगाथा—गुणत्रयविभागः तथा लोभनिग्रहः
Ambarīṣa’s Gāthā: The Guṇas and the Restraint of Greed
इति राज्ञाम्बरीषेण गाथा गीता यशस्विना । अधिराज्यं पुरस्कृत्य लोभमेकं॑ निकृन्तता,इस प्रकार यशस्वी अम्बरीषने आत्मराज्यको आगे रखकर एकमात्र प्रबल शत्रु लोभका उच्छेद करते हुए उपर्युक्त गाथाका गान किया था
iti rājñāmbārīṣeṇa gāthā gītā yaśasvinā | adhirājyaṁ puraskṛtya lobham ekaṁ nikṛntatā ||
Thus the illustrious king Ambarīṣa sang this verse, placing sovereignty over the self in the forefront and cutting down the single, powerful enemy—greed. The passage frames ethical kingship as beginning with inner rule: conquering one’s own craving is presented as the decisive victory that safeguards righteous conduct.
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
True rulership begins with ruling oneself: greed is portrayed as the primary enemy, and prioritizing inner sovereignty (self-control) is the ethical foundation for dharmic life and leadership.
A brāhmaṇa narrator reports that the renowned king Ambarīṣa recited a gāthā, emphasizing that he set self-sovereignty foremost and thereby ‘cut down’ greed, presenting this as an exemplary moral stance.