Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala
पक्षिण ऊचुः तस्यैवं वदतः प्राप्तो विश्वामित्रस्तपोनिधिः ।
कोपामर्षविवृताक्षः प्राह चेदं नराधिपम् ॥
pakṣiṇa ūcuḥ tasyaivaṃ vadataḥ prāpto viśvāmitras taponidhiḥ | kopāmarṣa-vivṛtākṣaḥ prāha cedaṃ narādhipam ||
As aves disseram: Enquanto ele falava assim, chegou Viśvāmitra—tesouro de austeridade. Com os olhos arregalados de ira e indignação, então disse ao rei estas palavras.
{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
The verse contrasts two kinds of power: royal authority (narādhipa) and ascetic authority (tapas). It foreshadows that spiritual merit can confront kingship, and that anger/indignation—signaled by ‘widened eyes’—often marks a turning point where dharma is tested through speech and consequence.
This verse functions primarily as narrative (ākhyāna) within the Purāṇic teaching framework rather than directly presenting sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita. Indirectly it supports vaṃśānucarita-style material by situating a king within a didactic episode involving a famed ṛṣi (Viśvāmitra).
Viśvāmitra as ‘taponidhi’ symbolizes concentrated inner fire (tapas) arriving to challenge external rule. The ‘opened eyes’ motif can be read as the sudden outward manifestation of inner heat—when restraint is breached, speech becomes the instrument by which karma is activated, blessing or curse depending on alignment with dharma.