Shloka 20
Vaitaraṇī-tīrtha and the Devayāna Path
Kaliṅga Episode
न मां मर्त्याय भगवन् कस्मैचिद् दातुम्हसि । प्रदानं मोघधमेतत् ते यास्याम्येषा रसातलम्,कुन्तीकुमार! उनके द्वारा अपना दान होते ही पृथ्वी बहुत दुःखी हो गयी और कुपित हो लोकनाथ प्रभु ब्रह्मासे इस प्रकार बोली--“भगवन्! आप मुझे किसी मनुष्यको न सौँपें। यदि मुझे मनुष्यको सौंपेंगे तो वह व्यर्थ होगा, क्योंकि मैं अभी रसातलको चली जाऊँगी'
na māṁ martyāya bhagavan kasmaicid dātum arhasi | pradānaṁ moghadham etat te yāsyāmyeṣā rasātalam, kuntīkumāra |
Lomaśa disse: “Ela disse: ‘Ó Senhor bendito, não deves entregar-me a nenhum mortal. Se me deres a um ser humano, tua dádiva tornar-se-á vã, pois descerei imediatamente a Rasātala.’ Assim, quando foi doada, a Terra ficou profundamente aflita; e, irada, dirigiu-se a Brahmā, protetor dos mundos, com essas palavras—suplicando que não fosse confiada à posse humana, pois tal ‘propriedade’ violaria a ordem devida e tornaria sem sentido o ato divino.”
लोमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights a dharmic limit: the Earth (and by extension nature and sovereignty) is not a mere object for private possession. When cosmic entities are treated as transferable property, the act becomes ‘mogha’ (futile) and disrupts the proper order; rightful rule is stewardship aligned with dharma, not absolute ownership.
Lomaśa narrates that the Earth, distressed at being ‘given’ to a mortal, protests to Brahmā. She asks not to be entrusted to any human, declaring that if such a transfer occurs she will descend to Rasātala, making the grant meaningless. The address ‘Kuntīkumāra’ indicates Lomaśa is speaking to Yudhiṣṭhira.