Shloka 9
Adhyāya 39 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on attachment (saṅga) and relational restraint
सोऊहं वागग्रमृष्टानां रसानामवलेहक: । स्वजात्यानधितिष्ठामि नक्षत्राणीव चन्द्रमा:
so ’haṃ vāg-agra-mṛṣṭānāṃ rasānām avalehakaḥ | sva-jātyān adhitiṣṭhāmi nakṣatrāṇīva candramāḥ ||
ຊຳບະຣະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຂ້ອຍຊິມແລະຊົມຊື່ນຢູ່ເສມອ ກັບແກ່ນສານອັນຫວານລະມຸນທີ່ໄຫຼອອກຈາກຖ້ອຍຄຳຂອງພວກເຂົາ—ຄຳທີ່ຖືກຂັດເກົາຢ່າງປະນີດຢູ່ທີ່ປາຍໜ້າແຫ່ງວາຈາ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ເຫມືອນດວງຈັນຄອບຄອງເຫນືອດາວທັງຫຼາຍ ຂ້ອຍຈຶ່ງຖືອຳນາດ ແລະປົກຄອງຜູ້ທີ່ເປັນພວກພ້ອມຊາດຂອງຂ້ອຍ».
शम्बर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links legitimate authority with receptivity to wise, refined counsel: one who continually relishes the ‘essence’ of good instruction and cultivated speech becomes fit to preside over others, as the moon naturally presides among the stars.
Śambara is speaking in self-description, explaining why he holds sway over his own people: he constantly imbibes the sweet, refined ‘rasa’ of instructive speech, and uses the moon-over-stars image to justify his leadership.