Shloka 25
Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant
गौतम उवाच यत्रोत्तरा: कुरवो भांति रम्या देवै: सार्थ मोदमाना नरेन्द्र । यत्राग्नियौनाश्ष॒ वसंति लोका अब्योनय: पर्वतयोनयश्नल
gautama uvāca | yatrottarāḥ kuravo bhānti ramyā devaiḥ sārthaṃ modamānā narendra | yatrāgni-yonāś ca vasanti lokā ab-yonayaḥ parvata-yonayaś ca ||
Gautama sprach: „O König, es gibt ein Gebiet, wo die nördlichen Kurus in lieblicher Schönheit erstrahlen und in der Gemeinschaft der Götter frohlocken. Dort wohnen wunderbare Wesen—die einen aus Feuer geboren, die anderen aus Wasser, wieder andere aus den Bergen. Wenn ich in jenes Land gelangt bin—wo Indra die Erfüllung aller Wünsche regnen lässt, wo Frauen nach eigenem Willen frei umhergehen und wo zwischen Frauen und Männern jegliche Eifersucht gänzlich fehlt—dann werde ich meinen Elefanten von dir zurückfordern.“
गौतम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral force of a sage’s vow and the principle of rightful restitution: Gautama sets a clear condition for reclaiming what is his, while also contrasting ordinary human society with an ideal realm marked by abundance and the absence of jealousy—implying that ethical harmony is a higher good than mere enjoyment.
Gautama addresses a king and describes the wondrous land of Uttara-Kuru, where divine-like beings live and all desires are fulfilled under Indra’s beneficence. He declares that after going there, he will return to take back his elephant—framing his claim as a firm, time-bound resolve.