Shloka 17
Adhyāya 76: Kuṇḍina-praveśaḥ, Bhīmena satkāraḥ, Ṛtuparṇa-kṣamā, Aśvahṛdaya-pratyarpanam
Nala’s Reception and Reconciliation
मम राज्यं प्रणष्टं यन्नाहं तत् कृतवान् स्वयम् । कलिना तत् कृतं भीरु यच्च त्वामहमत्यजम्,'भीरु! मेरा जो राज्य नष्ट हो गया और मैंने जो तुम्हें त्याग दिया, वह सब कलियुगकी करतूत थी। मैंने स्वयं कुछ नहीं किया था
mama rājyaṃ praṇaṣṭaṃ yan nāhaṃ tat kṛtavān svayam | kalinā tat kṛtaṃ bhīru yac ca tvām aham atyajam ||
Bṛhadaśva berkata: “Bahawa kerajaanku musnah—dan bahawa aku meninggalkanmu—bukanlah perbuatanku sendiri. Wahai yang pemalu, semuanya itu dikerjakan oleh Kali; aku sendiri tidak melakukan apa-apa.”
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral tension between personal accountability and external forces: the speaker shifts blame to Kali (a personified corrupting force/age), raising the ethical question of whether misdeeds and failures can be excused as destiny or cosmic influence rather than owned as one’s own choices.
In the Nala-upākhyāna context of Vana Parva, Bṛhadaśva recounts how a king’s downfall and separation from his wife are attributed to the influence of Kali—framing the loss of kingdom and the act of abandonment as consequences of Kali’s overpowering sway rather than deliberate intent.