Shloka 16
Kṛṣṇa Leads Kālayavana to Mucukunda; The Yavana Is Burned; Mucukunda’s Prayers and Boon of Bhakti
लब्ध्वा गुहं ते स्व:पालं मुचुकुन्दमथाब्रुवन् । राजन् विरमतां कृच्छ्राद् भवान् न: परिपालनात् ॥ १६ ॥
labdhvā guhaṁ te svaḥ-pālaṁ mucukundam athābruvan rājan viramatāṁ kṛcchrād bhavān naḥ paripālanāt
Als die Halbgötter Kārttikeya als ihren Heerführer erlangt hatten, sprachen sie zu Mucukunda: „O König, gib nun die beschwerliche Pflicht auf, uns zu bewachen.“
FAQs
This verse shows that even righteous protection can become a severe hardship; the devas acknowledge Mucukunda’s strenuous service and ask him to cease, highlighting the heavy responsibility carried by a kshatriya king.
Mucukunda had long protected the devas in their conflicts, and they found him resting in a cave; recognizing his exhausted condition, they requested that he stop the difficult task of guarding them.
Service and responsibility are sacred, but prolonged overburdening leads to depletion; this verse encourages responsible duty balanced with timely rest and trusting divine arrangement when one’s role is fulfilled.