Shloka 73

Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala

Sanskrit

तद्वित्तं स्तोकमालोक्य दारविक्रयसम्भवम् ।

शोकाभिभूतं राजानं कुपितः कौशिकोऽब्रवीत् ॥

Transliteration

tadvittaṃ stokamālokya dāravikrayasambhavam / śokābhibhūtaṃ rājānaṃ kupitaḥ kauśiko 'bravīt

Translation

काष्ठविक्रयसमुत्थं अल्पं धनं दृष्ट्वा, शोकाकुलं च नृपतिं विलोक्य, कौशिकः क्रुद्धोऽभाषत।

Word by Word

• तत्-वित्तम्: that wealth
• तत्-वित्तम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्-वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘तत्’ + ‘वित्त’

• स्तोकम्: small / scanty
• स्तोकम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (to तत्-वित्तम्)

• आलोक्य: having seen
• आलोक्य: पूर्वकालक्रिया (Gerund; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+√लोक् (धातु) → आलोक्य (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having seen’

• दार-विक्रय-सम्भवम्: arising from the sale of (his) wife
• दार-विक्रय-सम्भवम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दार- विक्रय- सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—(दाराणां विक्रयः) + सम्भवः; विशेषण (to तत्-वित्तम्)

• शोक-अभिभूतम्: overcome by grief
• शोक-अभिभूतम्: विशेषण (Adjectival to object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोक-अभिभूत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अभिभूत (क्त/PPP from अभि+√भू) ‘overcome’; ‘शोकेन अभिभूतः’

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कुपितः: angry
• कुपितः: विशेषण (Adjectival to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कुप् (धातु) → कुपित (क्त/PPP)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-कृदन्तः—‘angered’ (predicative adjective)

• कौशिकः: Kauśika (Viśvāmitra)
• कौशिकः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विश्वामित्रस्य गोत्रनाम

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speakers

• Narrator describing Kauśika speaking to the grieving king (direct speech begins next/within the scene)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "karuna", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Kingship
• Detachment (vairāgya) vs. grief
• Poverty and dignity of livelihood
• Ascetic admonition

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames a moral contrast: a king reduced to subsistence earnings (from selling firewood) remains consumed by grief. The narrative cue—Kauśika’s anger—signals an impending ethical correction: sorrow over external loss is unsteady, while dharma calls for steadiness, right understanding of impermanence, and purposeful action rather than lamentation.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse is primarily Ākhyāna (didactic narrative) rather than a direct instance of sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita. Most closely, it supports vaṃśānucarita indirectly by portraying royal conduct and its moral testing, but its immediate function is ethical instruction through story.

What is the esoteric significance?

Symbolically, the ‘king’ can represent the ruling mind (rājā = antaḥkaraṇa’s sovereignty) that, when stripped of its usual ‘treasury’ (resources, status), becomes vulnerable to śoka (afflictive emotion). ‘Firewood-sale’ points to reduced life to mere fuel for survival—yet even then, attachment persists. Kauśika’s anger functions as the sharp, ascetic force of discernment (viveka) that interrupts self-pity and redirects the seeker toward inner sovereignty.