Shloka 24
पूर्व कृच्छूं चरिष्ये5हं पश्चाच्छुभमिति प्रभो । धर्मराजं ब्रुवन्नेवें पतितो5स्मि महीतले,“तब मैंने धर्मराजसे कहा--प्रभो! मैं पहले पाप ही भोग लूँगा। उसके बाद पुण्यका उपभोग करूँगा। इतना कहना था कि मैं पृथ्वीपर गिरा
pūrvaṃ kṛcchraṃ cariṣye'haṃ paścāc chubham iti prabho | dharmarājaṃ bruvann evaṃ patito'smi mahītale ||
“O Lord, I shall first undergo the painful hardship—the consequence of sin; afterwards I will enjoy what is auspicious—the fruit of merit.” Saying this to Dharmarāja, I had scarcely finished speaking when I fell down upon the earth.
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds ethical responsibility and karmic sequencing: the speaker expresses willingness to face painful consequences first (kṛcchra) and only later enjoy auspicious results (śubha). It reflects a moral attitude of accepting suffering as due recompense rather than seeking to postpone or evade it.
A Brahmin addresses Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira), declaring his intention to undergo hardship first and then enjoy merit afterwards. As he says this, he suddenly falls to the ground, indicating an immediate dramatic turn—suggesting collapse, fainting, or the onset of a destined consequence.