Shloka 163
पाण्डवानां पाञ्चालगमनम्
The Pāṇḍavas’ Journey toward Pāñcāla and News of the Svayaṃvara
नन्दिनीं सम्प्रयच्छस्व भुड्क्ष्व राज्यं महामुने । और अत्यन्त संतुष्ट होकर राजा विश्वामित्रने उस समय उन महर्षिसे कहा--“ब्रह्मन्! आप दस करोड़ गायें अथवा मेरा सारा राज्य लेकर इस नन्दिनी-को मुझे दे दें। महामुने! इसे देकर आप राज्य भोग करें"
nandinīṃ samprayacchasva bhuṅkṣva rājyaṃ mahāmune |
“大圣者啊，把难陀尼交给我吧；你便取这王国而享用。”
गन्धर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral problem of commodifying what is sacred or entrusted (Nandinī) for worldly gain (rājya). It frames a dharmic tension: spiritual guardianship and non-attachment versus the impulse to acquire power through exchange or coercion.
A Gandharva voices a demand: the sage should hand over Nandinī and, in return, enjoy a kingdom. In the broader Nandinī episode, such demands intensify the conflict between ascetic authority and royal ambition, setting the stage for confrontation over rightful possession and dharma.