Shloka 9
Vasiṣṭhāpavāha: Sarasvatī’s Diversion and Viśvāmitra’s Curse (वसिष्ठापवाहः)
एतान् पशून् नय क्षिप्रं ब्रह्मबन्धो यदीच्छसि । निकट जाकर दल्भ्यने कौरवनरेश धृतराष्ट्रसे पशुओंकी याचना की। यह सुनकर नृपश्रेष्ठ धृतराष्ट्र कुृपित हो उठे। उनके यहाँ कुछ गौएँ दैवेच्छासे मर गयी थीं। उन्हींको लक्ष्य करके राजाने क्रोधपूर्वक कहा--'ब्रह्मबन्धो! यदि पशु चाहते हो तो इन मरे हुए पशुओंको ही शीघ्र ले जाओ' || ७-८ $ ।। ऋषिस्तथा वच: श्रुत्वा चिन्तयामास धर्मवित्
etān paśūn naya kṣipraṁ brahmabandho yadīcchasi |
ธฤตราษฏระตรัสด้วยโทสะว่า—“โอ้ พรหมพันธุ! หากเจ้าปรารถนาปศุสัตว์ ก็จงพาโคเหล่านี้ไปเสียโดยเร็ว”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger corrupts dharmic conduct: harsh speech and contempt (calling someone ‘brahmabandhu’) become ethical failures, especially when directed at a religious petitioner. It implicitly warns that a ruler’s words can inflict moral injury and provoke grave consequences.
A petitioner asks for cattle; the king, angered, responds sarcastically and insultingly, ordering him to take the animals at once—implying refusal or humiliation rather than generosity. The surrounding prose tradition often links this kind of insult to later ascetic wrath and destructive repercussions.