Adhyaya 69 — The King’s Neglect of His Wife and the Restoration of Dharma
आलोच्याज्ञापयेत्युक्ते ततो ज्ञातं मयापि तत् ।
ततो न दत्तवानर्घमहं तुभ्यं विधानतः ॥
ālocyājñāpayety ukte tato jñātaṃ mayāpi tat | tato na dattavān argham ahaṃ tubhyaṃ vidhānataḥ ||
Apabila dikatakan, “Renungkanlah dahulu lalu perintahkan,” perkara itu pun menjadi diketahui olehku. Oleh itu, menurut tatacara yang wajar, aku tidak mempersembahkan arghya (persembahan penghormatan) kepadamu.
Honor (arghya) is not merely social courtesy; it is dharmically conditioned. The sage implies that ethical standing affects ritual exchange—hospitality is sacred, but it is also governed by discernment and rule.
Dharma instruction within Manvantara narration: it uses a king–sage exchange to teach how adharmic acts can disrupt ritual entitlement and reciprocity.
Arghya symbolizes the offering of one’s reverence and subtle ‘merit-flow’ to another. Withholding it ‘according to rule’ suggests that spiritual economy follows lawfulness (ṛta/dharma), not mere sentiment.