Shloka 9
Adhyāya 3: Indra’s Invitation and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Refusal to Abandon the Dog
Svargārohaṇa Test
इन्द्रने कहा--राजन! तुम्हें अमरता, मेरी समानता, पूर्ण लक्ष्मी और बहुत बड़ी सिद्धि प्राप्त हुई है, साथ ही तुम्हें स्वर्गीय सुख भी उपलब्ध हुए हैं; अतः इस कुत्तेको छोड़ो और मेरे साथ चलो। इसमें कोई कठोरता नहीं है ।।
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
anāryam āryeṇa sahasranetra śakyaṃ kartuṃ duṣkaram etad ārya |
mā me śriyā saṅgamanam tayāstu yasyāḥ kṛte bhaktajanaṃ tyajeyam ||
Yudhiṣṭhira thưa: “Hỡi Sahasranetra (Đấng Ngàn Mắt) Indra, đối với bậc cao quý, làm điều hèn kém là vô cùng khó—thật không xứng với người cao quý. Xin cho ta đừng bao giờ đạt được phú quý hay gắn với vận may như thế, mà vì nó người ta phải bỏ rơi kẻ đồng hành tận tụy.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
True nobility (āryatva) is measured by steadfast dharma: one should not trade loyalty and compassion for heavenly reward or prosperity. Fortune that demands betrayal of a devoted companion is rejected as ethically tainted.
At the threshold of heaven, Indra urges Yudhiṣṭhira to leave behind the dog that has followed him. Yudhiṣṭhira replies that abandoning a faithful companion would be an ignoble act for an ārya, and he refuses any ‘Śrī’ or reward that requires such abandonment.