Shloka 6

कौशिकस्य क्रोधविनिवृत्तिः — Kauśika’s Anger Checked by Householder Dharma

Devanagari script

नास्ति सम्भवो गुर्वर्थ दातुमिति,“एक दिन कोई वेदाध्ययनसम्पन्न ब्राह्मण राजा सेदुकके पास आया और उन्हें आशीर्वाद देकर गुरु-दक्षिणाके लिये भिक्षा माँगता हुआ बोला--'राजन्‌! आप मुझे एक हजार घोड़े दीजिये।” तब सेदुकने उस ब्राह्मण-से कहा--'ब्रह्मनम! आपकी अभीष्ट गुरु- दक्षिणा देना मेरे लिये सम्भव नहीं है

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | nāsti sambhavo gurvarthaṃ dātum iti | ekadā kaścid vedādhyayana-sampannaḥ brāhmaṇo rājānaṃ sedukaṃ samupāgamat | sa taṃ āśīrbhir abhinandya guru-dakṣiṇārthaṃ bhikṣām ayācata | uvāca ca—rājan, me sahasraṃ aśvān dehi iti | tataḥ sedukena sa brāhmaṇaḥ pratyuktaḥ—brāhmaṇa, tava iṣṭāṃ guru-dakṣiṇāṃ dātuṃ mama na sambhavati iti |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Tidak mungkin bagiku untuk memberikan pemberian itu demi guru.” Pada suatu ketika, seorang brāhmaṇa yang mencapai kesempurnaan dalam pengajian Veda datang kepada Raja Seduka. Setelah memberkatinya, dia memohon sedekah sebagai guru-dakṣiṇā dan berkata, “Wahai Raja, berikanlah kepadaku seribu ekor kuda.” Seduka menjawab brāhmaṇa itu, “Wahai brāhmaṇa, guru-dakṣiṇā yang engkau inginkan itu tidak mungkin aku tunaikan.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'वैशम्पायन उवाच (vaiśampāyana uvāca)', 'definition': '‘Vaiśampāyana said’—narratorial attribution'}, {'term': 'नास्ति सम्भवः (nāsti sambhavaḥ)', 'definition': 'there is no possibility

• it cannot be done'}, {'term': 'गुर्वर्थम् (gurvartham)', 'definition': 'for the sake of the guru/teacher

• as teacher’s due'}, {'term': 'दातुम् (dātum)', 'definition': 'to give'}, {'term': 'वेदाध्ययनसम्पन्न (vedādhyayana-sampanna)', 'definition': 'accomplished/qualified through Vedic study'}, {'term': 'ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇa)', 'definition': 'a Brahmin

• here, a Vedic scholar seeking support'}, {'term': 'आशीर्वाद (āśīrvāda)', 'definition': 'blessing

• benediction'}, {'term': 'गुरु-दक्षिणा (guru-dakṣiṇā)', 'definition': 'teacher’s fee/tribute offered at completion of study'}, {'term': 'भिक्षा (bhikṣā)', 'definition': 'alms

• a request for support'}, {'term': 'सहस्रम् (sahasram)', 'definition': 'a thousand'}, {'term': 'अश्व (aśva)', 'definition': 'horse

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वैशम्पायन (Vaiśampāyana)
• सेदुक (Seduka)
• ब्राह्मण (a Veda-learned Brahmin)
• गुरु-दक्षिणा (teacher’s fee)
• सहस्र अश्व (one thousand horses)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights the ethical tension between the duty to honor learning and teachers (guru-dakṣiṇā, dāna) and the practical limits of one’s resources. Dharma is not merely the ideal of giving, but also truthful acknowledgment of capacity and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Veda-trained Brahmin approaches King Seduka, blesses him, and requests a guru-dakṣiṇā in the form of a thousand horses. The king responds that fulfilling such a request is not possible for him.