Shloka 27
Aṣṭāvakra–Kahoda Upākhyāna: Śvetaketu’s Āśrama, Sarasvatī, and the Origin of Aṣṭāvakra
पुनश्चोत्कृत्य मांसानि राजा प्रादादुशीनर:
punaś cotkṛtya māṃsāni rājā prādād uśīnaraḥ | kintu dvitīye palaḍe sthāpitaḥ kapotaḥ tāni māṃsāni atikramya gurutaro babhūva | tataḥ mahārāja uśīnaro punaḥ punaḥ svamāṃsaṃ nikṛtya āropayām āsa | evaṃ bahuśaḥ kṛte'pi yadā tat māṃsaṃ kapotasya tulyaṃ na babhūva, tadā sarvamāṃsaṃ nikṛtya sa svayam eva tulāyām āruroha ||
ໂລມະສະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ກະສັດອຸສີນະ ໄດ້ຕັດເນື້ອຈາກກາຍຂອງພຣະອົງອີກ ແລະວາງລົງໃນຖາດຊັ່ງ. ແຕ່ນົກພິລາບທີ່ຢູ່ອີກຖາດໜຶ່ງກັບໜັກກວ່າເນື້ອນັ້ນ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ກະສັດຜູ້ຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ໄດ້ຕັດເນື້ອເພີ່ມ ແລະຖວາຍວາງຂຶ້ນຊ້ຳໆ. ເມື່ອເຮັດຊ້ຳໆແລ້ວກໍຍັງບໍ່ເທົ່ານ້ຳໜັກນົກພິລາບ ພຣະອົງຈຶ່ງຕັດເນື້ອເທົ່າທີ່ຈະຕັດໄດ້ທັງໝົດ ແລະສຸດທ້າຍກໍຂຶ້ນໄປຢືນເທິງຄານຊັ່ງດ້ວຍພຣະອົງເອງ.
लोगमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma is to protect one who seeks refuge, even at great personal cost. The episode highlights uncompromising commitment to compassion, truth, and the ethical duty of sheltering the vulnerable.
To save the dove, King Uśīnara offers his own flesh on a balance as a substitute. The dove remains heavier each time, so the king continues cutting and offering more until he finally places his own body on the scale, demonstrating total self-offering to uphold his pledge.