Shloka 2
Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala
अहो महात्मना तेन प्राप्तं कृच्छ्रमनुत्तमम् ।
कच्चित् सुखमनुप्राप्तं तादृगेव द्विजोत्तमाः ॥
aho mahātmanā tena prāptaṃ kṛcchram anuttamam | kaccit sukham anuprāptaṃ tādṛg eva dvijottamāḥ ||
Ah! Insan berhati agung itu telah menanggung penderitaan yang tiada bandingan. Wahai yang terbaik antara kaum dwija, adakah kini kebahagiaan—yang sememangnya layak baginya—telah diperoleh?
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FAQs
The verse models dhārmic speech: one acknowledges another’s austerity and suffering without sensationalism, and then asks after their well-being. It implies that hardship (kṛcchra) should ideally culminate in sukha—not merely pleasure, but the settled welfare that follows right conduct, endurance, and spiritual striving.
This verse is primarily part of the Purāṇic narrative frame (ākhyāna/saṃvāda) rather than a direct instance of sarga (creation), pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, or vaṃśānucarita. It functions as connective tissue that introduces or sustains the dialogue through which those five topics are often taught.
On an inner reading, ‘unsurpassed hardship’ can signify tapas (discipline) and the burning away of impediments; the question about whether ‘such’ happiness has been attained points to a higher sukha—śānti or inner steadiness—commensurate with the seeker’s effort, rather than ordinary comfort.