Shloka 28
Śukra’s Ultimatum and Devayānī’s Demand (शुक्र-प्रतिज्ञा तथा देवयानी-वर-याचना)
नहुष: पालयामास ब्रद्यक्षत्रमथो विश: । स हत्वा दस्युसंघातानृषीन् करमदापयत्,पृथ्वीपते! उन्होंने अपने विशाल राज्यका धर्मपूर्वक शासन किया। पितरों, देवताओं, ऋषियों, ब्राह्मणों, गन्धरवों, नागों, राक्षसों तथा ब्राह्मण, क्षत्रिय और वैश्योंका भी पालन किया। राजा नहुषने झुंड-के-झुंड डाकुओं और लुटेरोंका वध करके ऋषियोंको भी कर देनेके लिये विवश किया
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
nahuṣaḥ pālayāmāsa bṛhad-rājyakṣatram atho viśaḥ |
sa hatvā dasyu-saṅghātān ṛṣīn karam adāpayat ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: O rei Nahuṣa governou seu vasto domínio de acordo com o dharma, sustentando as ordens sociais—kṣatriyas e vaiśyas. Tendo abatido bandos de ladrões, constrangeu até mesmo os ṛṣis a pagar tributo. O verso, assim, justapõe o dever protetor do soberano à tensão ética que surge quando o poder real extrapola e alcança domínios tradicionalmente tidos como acima da tributação.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s dharma includes protecting society by suppressing lawlessness (slaying bands of robbers), but righteous rule is also measured by restraint: compelling tribute from ṛṣis highlights a potential lapse or overextension of royal authority into a sphere traditionally treated as spiritually eminent and not subject to ordinary exactions.
Vaiśampāyana describes King Nahuṣa’s governance: he maintains the realm and the social orders, defeats organized robbers, and then enforces tribute collection so strictly that even the seers are made to pay.