Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 31
Dhruva-vaṁśa Continuation: Utkala’s Renunciation, Aṅga’s Sacrifice, and the Birth of Vena
Prelude to Pṛthu
सदसस्पतय ऊचु: नरदेवेह भवतो नाघं तावन् मनाक्स्थितम् । अस्त्येकं प्राक्तनमघं यदिहेदृक् त्वमप्रज: ॥ ३१ ॥
sadasas-pataya ūcuḥ nara-deveha bhavato nāghaṁ tāvan manāk sthitam asty ekaṁ prāktanam aghaṁ yad ihedṛk tvam aprajaḥ
Los jefes de la asamblea dijeron: Oh rey, en esta vida no vemos en ti pecado alguno, ni siquiera en tu mente; no eres ofensivo en lo más mínimo. Pero hay una falta de una vida anterior, por la cual, aun teniendo todas las cualidades, no tienes hijo.
The purpose of marrying is to beget a son, because a son is necessary to deliver his father and forefathers from any hellish conditional life in which they may be. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita therefore says, putra-hīnaṁ gṛhaṁ śūnyam: without a son, married life is simply abominable. King Aṅga was a very pious king in this life, but because of his previous sinful activity he could not get a son. It is concluded, therefore, that if a person does not get a son it is due to his past sinful life.
FAQs
This verse states that even when one is presently faultless, a prior (prāktana) sin can still bear fruit—here, manifesting as childlessness—illustrating the delayed results of karma.
They were reassuring the king that he had no current wrongdoing, while explaining that his lack of a son was due to a previous karmic fault, within the narrative about Aṅga’s distress over having no progeny.
It encourages patience and self-examination: do one’s present duties without despair, accept that some hardships may be residual results of past actions, and respond through dharma, prayer, and responsible conduct rather than blame.