Shloka 14
Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana
Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues
शक्र उवाच खरयोनिमनुप्राप्तस्तुषभक्षोडसि दानव । इयं ते योनिरधमा शोचस्याहो न शोचसि
śakra uvāca: kharayonim anuprāptas tuṣabhakṣo 'si dānava | iyaṃ te yonir adhamā śocasy āho na śocasi ||
Śakra (Indra) berkata: “Wahai Dānava, engkau telah jatuh ke rahim seekor keldai dan kini hidup memakan sekam. Inilah kelahiran yang hina menimpamu—adakah engkau berdukacita kerananya, atau tidak berdukacita?”
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores karmic consequence: ignoble conduct can culminate in an ignoble rebirth (adhamā yoni). Indra’s pointed question presses the fallen being toward moral reflection and remorse, implying that recognition of one’s degradation is the first step toward ethical correction.
Indra addresses a Dānava who has been reduced to a donkey’s birth, living on chaff. He highlights the humiliating condition and asks whether the Dānava feels sorrow for having reached such a low state, framing the scene as a moral confrontation rather than mere insult.