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 ||
Gautama said: “There is the Nandana grove—lovely, adorned with abundant blossoms, frequented by the lords of the Kinnaras, and ever dear to Nārada, the Gandharvas, and the Apsarases. Even if you go there, I shall bring you back from that place and reclaim my elephant.”
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.