Shloka 26
Aṣṭāvakra–Kahoda Upākhyāna: Śvetaketu’s Āśrama, Sarasvatī, and the Origin of Aṣṭāvakra
लोगमश उवाच उत्कृत्य स स्वयं मांसं राजा परमधर्मवित् | तोलयामास कौन्तेय कपोतेन सम॑ विभो
lomaśa uvāca utkr̥tya sa svayaṁ māṁsaṁ rājā paramadharmavit | tolayāmāsa kaunteya kapotena samaṁ vibho ||
Lomaśa nói: “Hỡi con của Kuntī, sau đó vị vua ấy—bậc thấu triệt dharma tối thượng—đích thân dùng tay mình cắt thịt từ thân thể và bắt đầu cân cho bằng với con bồ câu, hỡi đấng hùng mạnh.”
लोगमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is upheld not merely by intention but by costly action: a ruler must protect the helpless who seek refuge, even if it demands personal suffering. The king’s willingness to give his own flesh illustrates that compassion and protection of the dependent can outweigh self-preservation.
In the well-known Śibi/Uśīnara episode, a dove seeks the king’s protection. To honor the refuge given while addressing the demand for equivalent compensation, the king cuts his own flesh and weighs it against the dove, demonstrating steadfast adherence to dharma.