Shloka 57
Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant
गौतम उवाच श्वेतं करेणुं मम पुत्र हि नागं य॑ मेडहार्षीदेशवर्षाणि बालम् | यो मे वने वसतो< भूद् द्वितीय- स्तमेव मे देहि सुरेन्द्र नागम्
gautama uvāca—śvetaṃ kareṇuṃ mama putra hi nāgaṃ ya medhārṣīdeśavarṣāṇi bālam | yo me vane vasato bhūd dvitīyas tam eva me dehi surendra nāgam ||
ໂກຕະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: “ໂອ ອິນທຣາ! ຊ້າງຂາວນີ້—ເປັນລູກຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າແທ້—ແມ່ນແມ່ນວ່າບັດນີ້ເຕີບໃຫຍ່ເປັນຊ້າງໜຸ່ມ ແຕ່ຍັງມີອາຍຸແຕ່ສິບປີ. ຢູ່ກັບຂ້າພະເຈົ້າໃນປ່າ ມັນເປັນເຫມືອນຕົວຂ້າພະເຈົ້າອີກຄົນ—ເປັນເພື່ອນ ແລະຜູ້ຊ່ວຍ. ພຣະອົງໄດ້ນຳມັນໄປ; ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ໂອ ຈອມເທວະດາ ຂໍຈົ່ງຄືນຊ້າງນັ້ນໃຫ້ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ.”
गौतम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharma as respect for rightful bonds and non-injury: even a powerful deity should heed justice and compassion when an ascetic’s dependent (here, a ‘son’ in the form of an elephant) is taken. Moral authority is asserted through truthful, restrained petition rather than force.
Gautama addresses Indra directly, identifying the seized white elephant as his own son and forest-companion. He emphasizes the elephant’s youth and intimate dependence, then requests that Indra return the very same elephant.