Shloka 32
Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala
हा कष्टं किं तवानॆन कृतं देव! महीक्षिताः |
यदिन्द्रोपेन्द्रतुल्योऽयं नीतः प्रस्वापनीं दशाम् ||
hā kaṣṭaṁ kiṁ tavānena kṛtaṁ deva! mahīkṣitāḥ /
yad indropendratulyo ’yaṁ nītaḥ prasvāpanīṁ daśām ||
“โอ้ อนิจจา ช่างเป็นความลำบากยิ่ง! ข้าแต่นาถะ เหล่าผู้ครองแผ่นดินเหล่านี้ได้กระทำสิ่งใดแก่พระองค์ จนพระองค์—ผู้เสมอด้วยอินทราและอุเปนทรา—ถูกนำไปสู่สภาพหลับใหลอย่างลึกยิ่ง?”
FAQs
Even the supreme protector (Viṣṇu) is shown as subject to a divinely-willed ‘state’ (yoganidrā), highlighting that cosmic functions operate through Śakti. Ethically, the verse models humility: the devas do not presume entitlement to rescue, but first acknowledge the gravity of the situation and seek the proper power through reverent address.
Primarily within ‘vaṁśānucarita/ākhyāna’ style mythic narrative used to teach dharma and theology; secondarily it supports ‘sarga/pratisarga’ worldview by explaining how cosmic stability depends on the coordination of Viṣṇu and Śakti (Māyā). It is not a manvantara or genealogical datum in itself.
‘Indropendratulya’ underscores that even the highest divine offices (Indra) and the cosmic preserver (Upendra/Viṣṇu) are, in manifestation, conditioned by Śakti’s modes. The ‘prasvāpanī daśā’ symbolizes tamasic withdrawal—when awareness is veiled, disorder rises—necessitating invocation of Mahāmāyā to reawaken luminous agency.