Shloka 4
अम्बरीषगाथा—गुणत्रयविभागः तथा लोभनिग्रहः
Ambarīṣa’s Gāthā: The Guṇas and the Restraint of Greed
अत्र गाथा: कीर्तयन्ति पुराकल्पविदो जना: । अम्बरीषेण या गीता राज्ञा पूर्व प्रशाम्यता,इस विषयमें पूर्वकालकी बातोंके जानकार लोग एक गाथा सुनाया करते हैं। पहले कभी शान्तिपरायण महाराज अम्बरीषने इस गाथाका गान किया था
atra gāthāḥ kīrtayanti purākalpavido janāḥ | ambarīṣeṇa yā gītā rājñā pūrvaṃ praśāmyatā ||
Here, people who know the accounts of ancient times recite a traditional verse. It is said that long ago King Ambarīṣa—one devoted to peace and self-restraint—sang this very gāthā. The passage frames the teaching as time-tested wisdom, preserved by learned tradition and offered as an ethical exemplar from a righteous king.
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ethical instruction is presented as inherited, verified wisdom: a gāthā preserved by learned tradition and exemplified by a peace-oriented righteous king (Ambarīṣa), implying that dharma is best learned through time-honored teachings and exemplary conduct.
The brāhmaṇa speaker introduces a well-known traditional stanza, noting that experts in ancient lore recite it and that it was once sung by King Ambarīṣa, thereby setting up an authoritative moral illustration to follow.