Shloka 96
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
निष्क्रयो दीयतां महां ब्राह्मणा हि धनार्थिन: । “नृपश्रेष्ठ! तुम्हारी दी हुई इस पृथ्वीको मैं पुनः तुम्हारे ही अधिकारमें छोड़ता हूँ। तुम मुझे इसका मूल्य दे दो; क्योंकि ब्राह्मण धनके ही इच्छुक होते हैं (राज्यके नहीं)”
niṣkrayo dīyatāṃ mahān brāhmaṇā hi dhanārthinaḥ |
“بڑا فدیہ (قیمت) ادا کیا جائے، کیونکہ برہمن دولت کے ہی طالب ہوتے ہیں۔ اے نرپ شریشٹھ! آپ نے جو یہ زمین مجھے دی تھی، میں اسے پھر آپ ہی کے اختیار میں واپس رکھتا ہوں؛ اس کی قیمت مجھے دے دیجیے، کیونکہ برہمن راج نہیں، دولت چاہتے ہیں۔”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores an ethical distinction between spiritual authority and political power: a brāhmaṇa should not cling to sovereignty, but may accept wealth as a rightful means of support. It also frames gifts as requiring propriety—what is given should align with the recipient’s dharma, and when a gift is unsuitable (like dominion for a brāhmaṇa), its value may be taken instead.
In the Ashvamedhika context, a king offers the earth/kingdom as a grand gift. The brāhmaṇa recipient declines to retain political control, formally returning the earth to the king’s jurisdiction and asking instead for its monetary equivalent (niṣkraya/mūlya), stating that brāhmaṇas seek wealth for sustenance rather than rule.