Shloka 10
Cyavana’s Yogic Display and Kuśika’s Recognition of Tapas (च्यवन-योगप्रभावः कुशिकस्य तपःप्रशंसा च)
नहुष उवाच कोटि: प्रदीयतां मूल्यं निषादेभ्य: पुरोहित । यदेतदपि नो मूल्यमतो भूय: प्रदीयताम्
Nahuṣa uvāca: koṭiḥ pradīyatāṁ mūlyaṁ niṣādebhyaḥ purohita | yad etad api no mūlyam ato bhūyaḥ pradīyatām ||
Nahuṣa berkata: “Wahai pendeta istana, berikanlah kepada kaum Niṣāda ini satu koṭi (sepuluh juta) sebagai harga. Dan jika itu pun belum memadai, maka berikanlah lebih lagi.”
नहुष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical problem: attempting to resolve a moral or social wrong purely through monetary compensation. It invites reflection on whether wealth can truly measure the value of persons, dignity, or dharma.
King Nahuṣa instructs his priest to give the Niṣādas an enormous payment—one crore as a ‘price’—and authorizes increasing it if it is still deemed insufficient, framing the situation as a negotiable settlement.