Adhyaya 15 — Karmic Retribution: Rebirths After Naraka and the King’s Compassion in Hell
राजोवाच न स्वर्गे ब्रह्मलोके वा तत्सुखं प्राप्यते नरैः ।
यदार्तजन्तुनिर्वाणदानोत्थमिति मे मतिः ॥
rājovāca na svarge brahmaloke vā tat sukhaṃ prāpyate naraiḥ | yad ārta-jantu-nirvāṇa-dānottham iti me matiḥ ||
Raja berkata: “Kebahagiaan yang tidak dicapai manusia walaupun di syurga atau di Brahmaloka—ialah kebahagiaan yang lahir daripada memberi kelegaan, pembebasan, kepada makhluk yang menderita; demikianlah keyakinanku.”
{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
Compassionate action that tangibly relieves suffering is valued above personal celestial reward. The verse elevates altruistic dharma (paropakāra) as a superior ‘sukha’ to post-mortem enjoyments.
Ācāra/dharma-upadeśa embedded in narrative; it is an ethical maxim rather than sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara.
‘Nirvāṇa’ here hints at the inner quenching of duḥkha through self-transcending giving: when ego loosens via dāna, a higher joy arises that even ‘lokas’ cannot match.