Shloka 92
Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala
पक्षिण ऊचुः हरिश्चन्द्रस्ततो राजा चिन्तावस्थितजीवितः ।
प्रसीदेति वदन् पादावृषेरजग्राह विह्वलः ॥
pakṣiṇa ūcuḥ hariścandras tato rājā cintāvasthita-jīvitaḥ |
prasīdeti vadan pādāv ṛṣer ajagrāha vihvalaḥ ||
เหล่านกกล่าวว่า ครั้นแล้วพระราชาหริศจันทรา ผู้ซึ่งชีวิตถูกตรึงไว้ด้วยความกังวล ก็เกิดความร้อนรน และกล่าวว่า “โปรดเมตตา” แล้วกุมพระบาทของฤๅษีไว้
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FAQs
Even a sovereign, when pressed by dharmic crisis and inner turmoil, must adopt humility and seek guidance from the spiritually authoritative (ṛṣi). The act of grasping the sage’s feet (pādāgrahaṇa) signifies surrender of ego and recognition that dharma is higher than royal power.
This verse functions primarily as ākhyāna (exemplary narrative) used to teach dharma rather than directly presenting sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita. It most closely supports vaṃśānucarita-type ethical exempla when Harishchandra is treated as a famed royal figure whose conduct illustrates dharmic ideals.
The ‘life fixed in anxiety’ (cintāvasthita-jīvita) points to bondage through mental agitation; the turning toward the sage and the plea “prasīda” symbolizes the inward movement from self-will to grace (anugraha). The feet of the ṛṣi represent grounded dharma—contact with them is a symbolic re-rooting of the shaken mind in higher order.