Shloka 54
Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala
अस्ति मे वित्तमस्तोके सुकुमारी च मे प्रिया ।
गृहकर्म न शक्नोति कर्तुमस्मात् प्रयच्छ मे ॥
asti me vittam astokaṃ sukumārī ca me priyā | gṛhakarma na śaknoti kartum asmāt prayaccha me ||
“Aku mempunyai harta yang melimpah, dan juga isteri muda yang halus lagi kukasihi. Dia tidak mampu melaksanakan tugas-tugas rumah tangga; maka kurniakanlah pertolongan kepadaku daripada keperluan ini.”
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FAQs
The verse depicts a householder’s dependence on wealth and domestic arrangement, revealing how even prosperity does not remove anxiety. Ethically, it points to the dharmic concern of sustaining the household (gṛhastha), yet also hints at the bondage created by attachment to comfort and expectation—setting the stage for questioning what truly grants stability: external arrangements or inner discernment (viveka).
This verse is not directly an instance of sarga (creation), pratisarga (re-creation), vaṃśa (genealogies), manvantara (Manu-cycles), or vaṃśānucarita (dynastic histories). It fits best as ancillary narrative and dharma-oriented dialogue that functions as a frame/introduction leading into the Purana’s theological teaching (notably the Devi-centered section).
On a symbolic level, “abundant wealth” and the “delicate beloved” can represent external supports and sensory-affective attachments that appear pleasing yet are fragile and unreliable for sustaining dharma. The inability to perform “gṛhakarma” suggests the limits of purely worldly means; it subtly redirects the seeker toward a higher refuge—eventually articulated in the text through divine power (Śakti) and right understanding.