Shloka 30
Go-apahāra (Cattle Theft), Go-dāna (Cow-Gift), and Suvarṇa-dakṣiṇā (Gold Fee): Karmic Consequence and Purificatory Merit
ततस्तस्मिन् दिवं याते नृगे भरतसत्तम । वासुदेव इमं श्लोक॑ जगाद कुरुनन्दन,भरतश्रेष्ठ) कुरुनन्दन! राजा नृगके स्वर्गलोकको चले जानेपर वसुदेवनन्दन भगवान् श्रीकृष्णने इस श्लोकका गान किया--
tatas tasmin divaṃ yāte nṛge bharatasattama | vāsudeva imaṃ ślokaṃ jagāda kurunandana ||
Alors, ô le meilleur des Bhārata, lorsque le roi Nṛga fut parti pour le ciel, Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) prononça ce śloka, ô joie des Kuru. Le récit présente la parole à venir de Kṛṣṇa comme une méditation morale suscitée par le sort posthume de Nṛga, soulignant que les conséquences des actes suivent l’âme au-delà de la mort et que le dharma doit être pratiqué avec un discernement vigilant.
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as a narrative hinge: Nṛga’s ascent to heaven becomes the occasion for Kṛṣṇa’s ethical instruction, underscoring that actions (karma) bear results that extend beyond death and that dharma requires vigilance and precision, especially for rulers and householders.
After King Nṛga departs to heaven, the text reports that Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) addresses his listener—hailed as ‘best of the Bharatas’ and ‘delight of the Kurus’—and introduces a verse he is about to recite, setting up a didactic conclusion to the episode.