Shloka 12
Cyavana’s Yogic Display and Kuśika’s Recognition of Tapas (च्यवन-योगप्रभावः कुशिकस्य तपःप्रशंसा च)
नहुष उवाच अर्ध राज्यं समग्रं वा निषादेभ्य: प्रदीयताम् | एतन्मूल्यमहं मन्ये कि वान्यन्मन्यसे द्विज
Nahuṣa uvāca: ardha-rājyaṃ samagraṃ vā niṣādebhyaḥ pradīyatām | etan-mūlyam ahaṃ manye kiṃ vā anyan manyase dvija ||
Nahuṣa nói: “Hỡi bậc lưỡng sinh, vậy thì hãy ban cho các Niṣāda nửa vương quốc của ta—hoặc cả toàn bộ. Ta cho đó là giá xứng đáng cho ngài. Ngài còn nghĩ nên đòi hỏi điều gì nữa?”
नहुष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a king’s readiness to compensate or make amends with extraordinary generosity—up to surrendering sovereignty—while also raising an ethical question about what constitutes a ‘proper price’ (mūlya) in matters involving dharma and human worth.
Nahuṣa addresses a Brahmin and proposes that half or all of his kingdom be granted to the Niṣādas, presenting this as the appropriate recompense, and then asks what additional demand the Brahmin considers necessary.