Shloka 43
Yayāti, Devayānī, Śarmiṣṭhā, and the Exchange of Youth: The Unsatisfied Nature of Desire
श्रीपूरुरुवाच को नु लोके मनुष्येन्द्र पितुरात्मकृत: पुमान् । प्रतिकर्तुं क्षमो यस्य प्रसादाद् विन्दते परम् ॥ ४३ ॥
śrī-pūrur uvāca ko nu loke manuṣyendra pitur ātma-kṛtaḥ pumān pratikartuṁ kṣamo yasya prasādād vindate param
Pūru menjawab: 'Wahai Tuanku, siapakah di dunia ini yang dapat membalas jasa bapanya? Dengan belas kasihan bapa, seseorang mendapat bentuk kehidupan manusia, yang membolehkannya menjadi hamba Tuhan Yang Maha Esa.'
The father gives the seed of the body, and this seed gradually grows and develops until one ultimately attains the developed human body, with consciousness higher than that of the animals. In the human body one can be elevated to the higher planets, and, furthermore, if one cultivates Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can return home, back to Godhead. This important human body is obtained by the grace of the father, and therefore everyone is indebted to his father. Of course, in other lives one also gets a father and mother; even cats and dogs have fathers and mothers. But in the human form of life the father and mother can award their son the greatest benediction by teaching him to become a devotee. When one becomes a devotee, he achieves the greatest benediction because he completely averts the repetition of birth and death. Therefore the father who trains his child in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the most benevolent father in this world. It is said:
FAQs
Puru teaches that a father’s sacrifices for a child are beyond full repayment; recognizing this, one should respond with humility, gratitude, and righteous service, seeing the father’s mercy as a gateway to the highest good.
In the Yayāti narrative (Canto 9, Chapter 18), Puru expresses reverence and gratitude toward his father, emphasizing that a son cannot truly repay a father’s lifelong beneficence—setting the moral ground for his willingness to serve and sacrifice.
Practice gratitude toward parents and elders, serve them without entitlement, and treat their guidance and blessings as spiritually significant—repaying not merely with money, but with character, responsibility, and respectful care.