Shloka 2
अध्याय ५६ — च्यवन–कुशिकसंवादः
Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Lineage, Conflict, and Transmission
युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--पितामह! च्यवन मुनिके अन्तर्धान हो जानेपर राजा कुशिक और उनकी महान् सौभाग्यशालिनी पत्नीने क्या किया? यह मुझे बताइये ।।
bhīṣma uvāca |
adṛṣṭvā sa mahīpālas tam ṛṣiṃ saha bhāryayā |
pariśrānto nivavṛte vrīḍito naṣṭacetanaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：国王与王后同寻那位仙人，终究不得相见，便疲惫而返。羞惭与自责压倒了他，使他恍若失神——因未能得见那隐没无踪的苦行者，心神大为震荡。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical contrast between royal power and ascetic authority: when a king cannot reach a sage (who may withdraw from sight by spiritual power), the proper response is not coercion but humility. The king’s shame and mental collapse underscore the moral weight of failing in reverence, patience, or right conduct toward a rishi.
After Chyavana disappears (becomes unperceivable), King Kushika searches for him with his wife but cannot find him. Exhausted, the king turns back, feeling deep embarrassment and becoming mentally stunned, setting up the next part of the episode about why the sage withdrew and what consequences or lessons follow.