Cyavana’s Yogic Display and Kuśika’s Recognition of Tapas (च्यवन-योगप्रभावः कुशिकस्य तपःप्रशंसा च)
नहुष उवाच कोटि: प्रदीयतां मूल्यं निषादेभ्य: पुरोहित । यदेतदपि नो मूल्यमतो भूय: प्रदीयताम्
Nahuṣa uvāca: koṭiḥ pradīyatāṁ mūlyaṁ niṣādebhyaḥ purohita | yad etad api no mūlyam ato bhūyaḥ pradīyatām ||
那胡沙说道:“祭司啊,当以一俱胝(千万)为价赐予这些尼沙陀。若此仍不足为价,便再加赐更多。”
नहुष उवाच
The verse highlights an ethical problem: attempting to resolve a moral or social wrong purely through monetary compensation. It invites reflection on whether wealth can truly measure the value of persons, dignity, or dharma.
King Nahuṣa instructs his priest to give the Niṣādas an enormous payment—one crore as a ‘price’—and authorizes increasing it if it is still deemed insufficient, framing the situation as a negotiable settlement.