Shloka 84
अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः
एवं तस्य मुनेः शापाद् अष्टावक्रस्य केशवम् भर्तारं प्राप्य ता याता दस्युहस्तं वराङ्गनाः
evaṃ tasya muneḥ śāpād aṣṭāvakrasya keśavam bhartāraṃ prāpya tā yātā dasyuhastaṃ varāṅganāḥ
Thus, by the curse of the sage Aṣṭāvakra, those noble women—though they had obtained Keśava as their lord—were driven into the hands of bandits.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: As Keśava, he becomes their lord within the narrative, while the curse of Aṣṭāvakra demonstrates dharma’s inescapable sequencing even amid divine proximity.
Leela: Dharma-upadesa
Dharma Restored: Upholding the inviolability of a sage’s tapas and the principle that disrespect bears fruit despite later honor or association with the Lord.
Concept: Even after attaining the highest association (Keśava as bhartṛ), prior wrongdoing can mature as suffering; dharma unfolds through time-bound causality.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Do not assume spiritual privilege cancels harm done; practice ongoing ethical vigilance and humility even in devotional life.
Vishishtadvaita: The Lord is the inner ruler who permits karmic maturation for moral and spiritual correction, while remaining the ultimate refuge.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
FAQs
This verse shows śāpa as a narrative instrument of dharma and karmic consequence—events turn sharply not by chance but through morally charged causality anchored in rishi authority.
By stating that the women had obtained Keśava yet still fell into misfortune, Parāśara highlights that worldly outcomes can still manifest through prior causes; the Lord remains supreme while the karmic order operates within His sovereignty.
Keśava is named as the true Lord (bhartā), emphasizing divine supremacy; the verse simultaneously teaches that devotion/association does not erase narrative karma, but places it within Vishnu’s overarching governance of order.