Shloka 14
Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: Abhaya, Anugraha, and the Ethics of Honoring the Worthy (दानश्रेष्ठता: अभय-अनुग्रह-विप्रपूजा)
ततो5हमागम्य पुरे त्वामवोचं महीपते । नियम कंचिदारप्स्ये शुश्रूषा क्रियतामिति
tato ’ham āgamya pure tvām avocaṁ mahīpate | niyamaṁ kañcid ārapsye śuśrūṣā kriyatām iti ||
それから、王よ、私は汝の都に来てこう告げた。「私は一つのヴラタ（誓戒の修行）を始める。ゆえに我に仕えよ。」（実のところ、その意図で私は汝の過ちを探していたのだ。）しかし汝の家に住みながら、今日に至るまで汝のうちに何の咎も見いだせなかった。王の聖仙よ、それゆえ汝はなお生きている。さもなくば、汝の権勢と地位は滅び去っていたであろう。
च्यवन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s survival and legitimacy rest on dharma: faultless conduct, humility, and proper service to the virtuous. The verse frames ascetic discipline (niyama) and the demand for service (śuśrūṣā) as a moral test—implying that ethical integrity protects sovereignty, while serious faults can destroy a king’s standing.
Cyavana tells the king that he came to the city announcing a vow and requesting service, but his hidden purpose was to observe the king closely and find a fault. Living in the king’s house, he has found none; therefore he declares that the king remains alive and secure—otherwise his power would have been wiped out.