Shloka 28

Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: Abhaya, Anugraha, and the Ethics of Honoring the Worthy (दानश्रेष्ठता: अभय-अनुग्रह-विप्रपूजा)

Devanagari script

निदर्शनार्थ तपसो धर्मस्य च नराधिप । तत्र या55सीत्‌ स्पूृहा राजंस्तच्चापि विदितं मया

Transliteration

nidarśanārthaṁ tapaso dharmasya ca narādhipa | tatra yāsīt spṛhā rājaṁs tac cāpi viditaṁ mayā || nareśvara |

Translation

ข้าแต่องค์จอมราชันแห่งมนุษย์ ข้ากระทำสิ่งทั้งปวงนี้เพียงเพื่อให้พระองค์ประจักษ์ถึงอานุภาพและมาตรแท้แห่งตบะและธรรมเท่านั้น และข้าแต่พระราชา ความปรารถนาที่บังเกิดในพระทัยเมื่อทอดพระเนตรเหตุการณ์เหล่านี้ ข้าก็ล่วงรู้แล้วเช่นกัน โอ้ผู้ครองมนุษย์

Word by Word

• निदर्शनार्थम्: for the purpose of demonstration
• निदर्शनार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निदर्शन-अर्थ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तपसः: of austerity
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• धर्मस्य: of dharma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तत्र: there / in that matter
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• या: which
• या: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular

• स्पृहा: desire / longing
• स्पृहा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पृहा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: even / also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• विदितम्: known
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विदित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Instrumental, Singular

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

च्यवन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Chyavana (च्यवन)
• King (narādhipa/rājan/nareśvara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Chyavana states that extraordinary actions and displays are meant as a moral demonstration: tapas (disciplined austerity) and dharma (righteous conduct) have real power, and a ruler should learn from such examples. He also implies that a wise seer can discern a king’s inner motives, so ethical intention matters, not merely outward reaction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Chyavana addresses a king, explaining that what the king has witnessed was intentionally arranged as an instructive example about tapas and dharma. Chyavana further reveals that he already knows the desire that has arisen in the king’s mind after seeing these events.