Shloka 25
Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant
गौतम उवाच यत्रोत्तरा: कुरवो भांति रम्या देवै: सार्थ मोदमाना नरेन्द्र । यत्राग्नियौनाश्ष॒ वसंति लोका अब्योनय: पर्वतयोनयश्नल
gautama uvāca | yatrottarāḥ kuravo bhānti ramyā devaiḥ sārthaṃ modamānā narendra | yatrāgni-yonāś ca vasanti lokā ab-yonayaḥ parvata-yonayaś ca ||
गौतम म्हणाले—नरेन्द्रा! ज्या प्रदेशात रम्य रूपधारी उत्तर कुरु देवांसह आनंदाने नांदत तेजस्वी भासतात, जिथे अग्निज, जलज व पर्वतज असे दिव्य जन वसतात; जिथे इंद्र सर्व कामनांची वर्षा करतो, जिथे स्त्रिया स्वेच्छेने संचार करतात आणि जिथे स्त्री-पुरुषांत ईर्ष्येचा सर्वथा अभाव आहे—त्या देशी जाऊन मी तुझ्याकडून माझा हत्ती परत घेईन।
गौतम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral force of a sage’s vow and the principle of rightful restitution: Gautama sets a clear condition for reclaiming what is his, while also contrasting ordinary human society with an ideal realm marked by abundance and the absence of jealousy—implying that ethical harmony is a higher good than mere enjoyment.
Gautama addresses a king and describes the wondrous land of Uttara-Kuru, where divine-like beings live and all desires are fulfilled under Indra’s beneficence. He declares that after going there, he will return to take back his elephant—framing his claim as a firm, time-bound resolve.