Shloka 41
Aghāsura-vadha: The Killing and Deliverance of Aghāsura
श्रीराजोवाच ब्रह्मन्कालान्तरकृतं तत्कालीनं कथं भवेत् । यत् कौमारे हरिकृतं जगु: पौगण्डकेऽर्भका: ॥ ४१ ॥
śrī-rājovāca brahman kālāntara-kṛtaṁ tat-kālīnaṁ kathaṁ bhavet yat kaumāre hari-kṛtaṁ jaguḥ paugaṇḍake ’rbhakāḥ
قال الملك: أيها البرهمن، كيف يُوصَف ما فُعِل في زمنٍ سابق كأنه وقع في حينه؟ لقد قام هري بهذه الليلا في سنّ الكَومارا؛ فكيف إذن في سنّ البَوگنڈا روى الصبيان الحادثة كأنها حدثت قريبًا؟
FAQs
Because the cowherd boys, now described as in paugaṇḍa boyhood, are praising deeds Kṛṣṇa performed in their earlier kaumāra childhood, and Parīkṣit wants to understand how this chronological shift is being presented.
They are stages of childhood: kaumāra refers to early childhood, while paugaṇḍa refers to a later boyhood stage; this verse contrasts the two to highlight the apparent time discrepancy in the narration.
It models attentive, respectful inquiry—when something in scripture seems inconsistent, a sincere student asks clarifying questions rather than dismissing the text, deepening understanding and devotion.