Shloka 3
आपद्-राजनीतिः (Āpad-rājanīti) — Policy Options in Multi-Front Crisis
ऋषभ उवाच इत्येवमुक्ते वचने राज्ञा मुनिरधोमुख: । तूष्णीमेवाभवत् तत्र न च प्रत्युक्तवान् नृपम्,ऋषभ कहते हैं--राजन्! राजाके ऐसा कहनेपर वे मुनि नीचे मुँह किये चुपचाप बैठे ही रह गये। राजाको कुछ उत्तर न दे सके
ṛṣabha uvāca | ityevamukte vacane rājñā munir adhomukhaḥ | tūṣṇīm evābhavat tatra na ca pratyuktavān nṛpam |
ฤๅษภะกล่าวว่า ครั้นพระราชาตรัสดังนั้นแล้ว ฤๅษีผู้นั้นก็ก้มหน้า นั่งนิ่งอยู่ในความสงัด ไม่ได้ทูลตอบพระราชาแม้แต่น้อย
ऋषभ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights silence (tūṣṇīm) as an ethically charged response: when speech may be inadequate, premature, or harmful, restraint and inward reflection can itself communicate gravity, dissent, or contemplation within the pursuit of dharma.
After the king speaks, the sage lowers his face and remains silent, offering no verbal reply. Rishabha narrates this moment to show the tension between royal questioning/assertion and ascetic reserve, setting up the next development in the dialogue.