Shloka 50
Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala
राजोवाच भो भो नागरिकाḥ सर्वे शृणुध्वं वचनं मम ।
किं मां पृच्छथ कस्त्वं भो नृशंसोऽहममानुषः ॥
rājovāca bho bho nāgarikāḥ sarve śṛṇudhvaṃ vacanaṃ mama / kiṃ māṃ pṛcchatha kas tvaṃ bho nṛśaṃso ’ham amānuṣaḥ
Raja berkata: “Ho! Ho! Wahai sekalian penduduk kota, dengarlah kata-kataku. Mengapa kamu bertanya kepadaku, ‘Siapakah engkau?’ Aku ini seorang yang kejam—bukan lelaki sejati.”
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FAQs
The verse dramatizes a collapse of moral self-regard: the king labels himself “nṛśaṃsa” and “amānuṣa,” implying that true humanity is measured by dharma and compassion, not merely by birth or status. It sets the emotional ground for seeking higher counsel—an admission that power without righteousness dehumanizes.
This verse belongs to the narrative/dialogue layer that supports later theological exposition. It is not directly Sarga (creation), Pratisarga, Vaṃśa (genealogy), Manvantara, or Vaṃśānucarita; rather, it functions as an upākhyāna-style framing passage that leads into the Devi-centered teaching within the Purana.
The king’s self-declaration as “not human” can be read as the soul’s recognition of bondage (pāśa) and inner tamas. Such frank self-knowledge is a threshold moment: when egoic sovereignty fails, one becomes receptive to Śakti’s restoring wisdom and order (dharma), which the Devi Mahatmyam proceeds to reveal.