Shloka 87
Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala
हरिश्चन्द्र उवाच नाहं चण्डालदासत्वमिच्छेयं सुविगर्हितम् ।
वरं सापाग्निना दग्धो न चण्डालवशं गतः ॥
hariścandra uvāca nāhaṃ caṇḍāla-dāsatvam iccheyaṃ suvigarhitaṃ | varaṃ sāpa-agninā dagdho na caṇḍāla-vaśaṃ gataḥ ||
诃利施旃陀罗说道：“我不愿成为旃陀罗之奴，那是极其可耻之事。宁可被诅咒之火焚烧，也不愿落入旃陀罗的支配之下。”
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FAQs
The verse dramatizes steadfastness to one’s perceived dharma and personal honor under extreme pressure: the king prefers suffering (even the destructive consequence of a curse) over accepting a condition he regards as morally and socially degrading. It reflects the Purāṇic ideal of endurance and resolve in adversity, though its social valuation of ‘Caṇḍāla’ status mirrors the hierarchical assumptions of the period/genre.
Primarily aligns with Vaṃśānucarita/Carita (accounts of dynasties and exemplary lives) rather than sarga/pratisarga/manvantara. It functions as an edifying royal biography illustrating dharma through narrative.
Symbolically, ‘śāpa-agni’ (curse-fire) can be read as the purifying/consuming force of karmic consequence and inner trial, while ‘vaśa’ (subjugation) signifies loss of sovereignty over the self. The passage thus encodes an inner yogic-ethical stance: preserve inner autonomy and integrity even at the cost of outer pain.