Adhyāya 9: Pratiśruta-Dāna
The Duty to Fulfill Promised Gifts
वानर उवाच सदा चाहं फलाहारो ब्राह्मणानां प्लवड्भम: । तस्मान्न ब्राह्मणस्वं तु हर्तव्यं विदुषा सदा । सम॑ विवादो मोक्तव्यो दातव्यं स प्रतिश्रुतम्
vānara uvāca | sadā cāhaṃ phalāhāro brāhmaṇānāṃ plavaṅgamaḥ | tasmān na brāhmaṇasvaṃ tu hartavyaṃ viduṣā sadā | samaṃ vivādo moktavyo dātavyaṃ sa pratiśrutam ||
ລີງໄດ້ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຂ້າເຄີຍດຳລົງຊີວິດໂດຍກິນໝາກໄມ້ທີ່ຂ້າລັກມາຈາກພຣາຫມັນເປັນນິດ. ເພາະບາບນັ້ນ ຂ້າຈຶ່ງກາຍເປັນລີງດັ່ງນີ້. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຜູ້ມີປັນຍາບໍ່ຄວນລັກຊັບຂອງພຣາຫມັນເດັດຂາດ. ບໍ່ຄວນເຂົ້າໄປຖຽງທະລະກັບພຣາຫມັນ; ແລະສິ່ງໃດທີ່ໄດ້ສັນຍາໄວ້ຈະໃຫ້ພວກເຂົາ ກໍຕ້ອງໃຫ້ແນ່ນອນ».
वानर उवाच
The verse teaches restraint and reverence in social-ethical conduct: never steal a Brahmin’s property, avoid disputes with Brahmins, and faithfully fulfill any promise made to them—presented as dharma reinforced by the speaker’s own karmic downfall.
A monkey speaks in a didactic context, confessing that he used to steal and eat fruit belonging to Brahmins and that this wrongdoing led to his degraded state. Using his experience as a warning, he instructs the listener on proper conduct toward Brahmins and on honoring commitments.