Shloka 20
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 90 — Pūror Vaṃśa, Kuru-Pravara, and the Janamejaya Line
Genealogical Recitation
तत्र स्थितं मां देवसुखेषु सक्तं काले5तीते महति ततो&5तिमात्रम् | दूतो देवानामत्रवीदुग्ररूपो ध्वंसेत्युच्चैस्त्रि: प्लुतेन स्वरेण,वहाँ रहकर मैं देवलोकके सुखोंमें आसक्त हो गया। तदनन्तर बहुत अधिक समय बीत जानेपर एक भयंकर रूपधारी देवदूत आकर मुझसे ऊँची आवाजमें तीन बार बोला--“गिर जाओ, गिर जाओ, गिर जाओ'
tatra sthitaṁ māṁ devasukhēṣu saktaṁ kāle'tīte mahati tato'timātram | dūto devānām atravīd ugrarūpo dhvaṁsety uccais triḥ plutena svareṇa ||
Ali, apeguei-me aos prazeres dos deuses. Então, depois de ter passado um tempo longuíssimo—para além de toda medida—apareceu um mensageiro dos devas, de aspecto terrível, e, em voz alta com tom prolongado, bradou-me três vezes: “Cai! Cai! Cai!” Esse instante expõe o perigo moral da complacência nos gozos celestes: até a recompensa do céu é impermanente, e o apego convida a uma reversão súbita quando o mérito se esgota.
अष्टक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Heavenly pleasure is not a final refuge: it lasts only as long as one’s accumulated merit. Attachment to enjoyment breeds negligence, and when merit is spent, a fall is inevitable—so one should seek steadier dharma and inner discipline rather than complacent indulgence.
Aṣṭaka recounts that while residing in the divine realm he became absorbed in celestial pleasures. After a long time, a fearsome divine messenger arrives and loudly commands him three times to ‘fall,’ signaling the end of his stay in heaven and the onset of descent due to exhausted merit.