Shloka 29
Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma
Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor
अस्थिभूतो यदा राजा निर्मासो रुधिरस्रव: । तुलां ततः: समारूढ: स्वं मांसक्षयमुत्सूजन्
asthibhūto yadā rājā nirmāso rudhirasravaḥ | tulāṃ tataḥ samārūḍhaḥ svaṃ māṃsakṣayam utsṛjan |
Tatkala raja itu telah susut menjadi rangka tulang semata—dagingnya habis dan darahnya mengalir—baginda pun berhenti memotong daging lagi; lalu, menerima sepenuhnya kehilangan tubuhnya sendiri, baginda melangkah naik ke atas neraca itu. Peristiwa ini menegaskan cita-cita etika pengorbanan diri: seorang pemerintah memilih menanggung harga itu pada dirinya, daripada gagal menunaikan kewajipan belas kasihan dan kebenaran yang dituntut oleh ujian tersebut.
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma expressed as radical self-giving: when compassion and truth are tested, the righteous person accepts personal suffering rather than abandon a moral commitment. The king’s willingness to offer himself embodies the priority of ethical duty over bodily attachment.
In the hawk’s narration, the king has been cutting and offering his own flesh in a weighing test. When he is reduced to bones and bleeding, he stops further cutting and instead steps onto the scale himself, offering his whole body to fulfill the demanded equivalence.