Shloka 8
युधिष्ठिर बोले--भूत और वर्तमानके स्वामी देवराज! यह कुत्ता मेरा बड़ा भक्त है। इसने सदा ही मेरा साथ दिया है; अतः यह भी मेरे साथ चले--ऐसी आज्ञा दीजिये; क्योंकि मेरी बुद्धिमें निष्ठरताका अभाव है ।। शक्र उवाच अमर्त्यत्वं मत्समत्वं च राजन् श्रियं कृत्स्नां महतीं चैव सिद्धिम् । संप्राप्तोड्द्य स्वर्गसुखानि च त्वं त्यज श्वान॑ नात्र नृशंसमस्ति
śakra uvāca — amartyatvaṁ matsamatvaṁ ca rājan śriyaṁ kṛtsnāṁ mahatīṁ caiva siddhim | saṁprāpto ’dya svargasukkhāni ca tvaṁ tyaja śvānaṁ nātra nṛśaṁsam asti ||
Śakra (Indra) said: “O king, today you have attained immortality, equality with me, complete prosperity, and great perfection. You have reached the joys of heaven; therefore abandon the dog. There is no cruelty in this.”
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
Heavenly reward and divine invitation do not automatically override dharma: the verse frames a moral test where Indra presents supreme gains (immortality, prosperity, heavenly joy) as justification to abandon a dependent companion, setting up the conflict between personal salvation and steadfast compassion/loyalty.
At the threshold of heaven, Indra addresses King Yudhiṣṭhira and offers him entry with extraordinary boons, but demands that he leave behind the dog that has followed him. Indra asserts that abandoning it is not cruelty, thereby provoking Yudhiṣṭhira’s dharmic response in the surrounding verses.