Shloka 10
Cyavana’s Yogic Display and Kuśika’s Recognition of Tapas (च्यवन-योगप्रभावः कुशिकस्य तपःप्रशंसा च)
नहुष उवाच कोटि: प्रदीयतां मूल्यं निषादेभ्य: पुरोहित । यदेतदपि नो मूल्यमतो भूय: प्रदीयताम्
Nahuṣa uvāca: koṭiḥ pradīyatāṁ mūlyaṁ niṣādebhyaḥ purohita | yad etad api no mūlyam ato bhūyaḥ pradīyatām ||
นหุษะกล่าวว่า “ท่านพราหิต จงให้หนึ่งโกฏิเป็นค่าตอบแทนแก่พวกนิษาทเถิด และหากแม้เท่านี้ยังไม่เป็นค่าที่สมควร ก็จงให้มากกว่านี้อีก”
नहुष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical problem: attempting to resolve a moral or social wrong purely through monetary compensation. It invites reflection on whether wealth can truly measure the value of persons, dignity, or dharma.
King Nahuṣa instructs his priest to give the Niṣādas an enormous payment—one crore as a ‘price’—and authorizes increasing it if it is still deemed insufficient, framing the situation as a negotiable settlement.