Shloka 52
Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)
मुष्टिं मुष्टिं तत: सर्वे दर्भाणां ते ह्युपाहरन् । तस्यासनार्थ विप्रर्षेर्बालस्यापि वशे स्थिता:
muṣṭiṁ muṣṭiṁ tataḥ sarve darbhāṇāṁ te hyupāharan | tasyāsanārthaṁ viprarṣer bālasyāpi vaśe sthitāḥ ||
Kemudian mereka semua membawa segenggam demi segenggam rumput darbha. Itu dilakukan untuk menyediakan tempat duduk bagi resi-brahmana itu; dan meskipun dia masih seorang budak, mereka tetap berada di bawah arahannya—menunjukkan ketaatan berdisiplin kepada kewibawaan rohani, bukan kepada usia atau kuasa duniawi.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic conduct: reverence and obedience are owed to spiritual qualification and ritual propriety, not merely to age or social power. Even a young sage, if worthy, is to be honored, and communal effort in sacred preparation is itself a form of disciplined righteousness.
A group collectively gathers darbha grass in repeated handfuls to fashion a proper ritual seat for a brahmin-sage. They submit to his guidance, emphasizing that the setting is one of ritual order and acknowledged spiritual authority.