Shloka 23
Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant
धृतराष्ट्र बोले--महर्षे! जो ब्राह्मण कोमलस्वभाव
gautama uvāca | supuṣpitaṃ kinnararājajuṣṭaṃ priyaṃ vanaṃ nandanaṃ nāradasya | gandharvāṇām apsarasāṃ ca śaśvat tatra tvāhaṃ hastinaṃ yātayiṣye ||
قال غوتاما: «ثمّة غابة نَنْدَنا—محبّبة، مزدانة بفيضٍ من الأزهار، يؤمّها سادة الكِنّارا، وهي على الدوام عزيزة على نارادا وعلى الغندهرفا والأبساراس. ولو ذهبتَ إليها، فمن ذلك الموضع نفسه أعيدك وأستردّ فيلي.»
गौतम उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even celestial privilege and access to heavenly realms do not override moral accountability; a sage’s dharmic authority ensures that what is wrongly held must be restored, regardless of the splendor of the destination.
Gautama points to the famed heavenly grove Nandana—beloved of Nārada and inhabited by Gandharvas and Apsarases—and declares that even if the other party goes there, he will still retrieve and reclaim his elephant.