Shloka 17
दधीच्यास्थिवज्रनिर्माणोपाख्यानम् | The Forging of the Vajra from Dadhīca’s Bones
तत आयब्ययौ दृष्टवा समौ सममतिर्द्धिज: । सर्वथा प्राणिनां पीडामुपादानादमन्यत,लोमशजी कहते हैं--युधिष्ठिर! तब राजाने उन्हें अपने आय-व्ययका पूरा विवरण दे दिया और कहा--'इसे समझकर जो धन शेष बचता हो, वह आपलोग ले लें।' समबुद्धिवाले महर्षि अगस्त्यने वहाँ भी आय-व्ययका लेखा बराबर देखकर यही माना कि इसमेंसे धन लिया जाय तो दूसरे प्राणियोंको सर्वथा कष्ट हो सकता है
tata āyavyayau dṛṣṭvā samau samamatir dvijaḥ | sarvathā prāṇināṁ pīḍām upādānād amanyata |
Lomaśa said: “Then, having examined the income and expenditure and finding them exactly balanced, the even-minded sage—though a twice-born—concluded that taking anything from it would, in every way, cause suffering to living beings.”
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when something is offered, one should consider the hidden harm: if accepting wealth will burden others or cause suffering to living beings, the ethical choice is restraint and non-appropriation.
A sage examines a king’s accounts and sees that income and expenses are exactly balanced; he therefore judges that taking any portion would disrupt the king’s obligations and indirectly distress other dependents and creatures.