Shloka 13

कौशिकस्य क्रोधविनिवृत्तिः — Kauśika’s Anger Checked by Householder Dharma

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच राजाधिराज तव समीपं सेदुकेन प्रेषितो भिक्षितु-मागत: । तेनानुशिष्टेन मया त्वं भिक्षितोडसि,इत्युक्त्वा ब्राह्मणाय दैवसिकामुत्पत्ति प्रादात्‌ । अधिक स्याश्वसहस्रस्य मूल्यमेवादादिति ऐसा कहकर राजाने ब्राह्मगको एक दिनकी आय दे दी। इस प्रकार उन्होंने एक हजारसे अधिक घोड़ोंका मूल्य ही दिया-

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca rājādhirāja tava samīpaṃ sedukena preṣito bhikṣitum āgataḥ | tenānuśiṣṭena mayā tvaṃ bhikṣito ’si ity uktvā brāhmaṇāya daivasikām utpattiṃ prādāt | adhikaṃ syād aśvasahasrasya mūlyam evādād iti |

Translation

Brahmana itu berkata: “Wahai maharaja di antara para raja, aku datang ke hadapanmu untuk memohon sedekah kerana Seduka telah mengutusku. Menurut ajarannya, aku memohon daripadamu.” Setelah berkata demikian, raja pun mengurniakan kepada brahmana itu pendapatan sehari yang diperuntukkan oleh takdir ilahi—bahkan jumlahnya melebihi nilai seribu ekor kuda. Peristiwa ini menonjolkan kewajipan raja yang terzahir melalui kemurahan hati: kekayaan pemerintah harus digunakan untuk meringankan kesusahan, dan permohonan yang disampaikan dengan wajar menjadi kesempatan untuk pemberian yang selaras dengan dharma, bukan sekadar urus niaga.

Word by Word

• {'brāhmaṇaḥ': 'a Brahmin

• here, the petitioner/speaker', 'uvāca': 'said

• spoke', 'rājādhirāja': 'king of kings

• supreme ruler/emperor', 'samīpam': 'presence

• proximity', 'preṣitaḥ': 'sent

• dispatched', 'bhikṣitum': 'to beg

• to request alms', 'āgataḥ': 'has come

• arrived', 'anuśiṣṭa': 'instructed

• directed', 'bhikṣitaḥ': 'begged from

• requested (passive sense: ‘you have been begged’)', 'uktvā': 'having said', 'brāhmaṇāya': 'to the Brahmin (dative)', 'daivasikā utpattiḥ': 'daily, divinely apportioned revenue/income

• the day’s ordained proceeds', 'prādāt': 'gave

• granted', 'adhikam': 'more

• exceeding', 'aśva-sahasra': 'a thousand horses', 'mūlya': 'value

• price', 'eva': 'indeed

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (Brahmin petitioner)
• राजाधिराज (the emperor/king addressed)
• सेदुक (Seduka)
• अश्वसहस्र (a thousand horses, as a value-comparison)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s dharma includes prompt and generous giving to worthy petitioners; wealth is validated ethically when it is used to relieve need and uphold social responsibility, not merely hoarded or displayed.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin arrives at the emperor’s court, stating he was sent by Seduka to beg. After declaring the request, the king grants him the day’s allotted revenue—an amount said to exceed even the value of a thousand horses.