Shloka 24
Go-apahāra (Cattle Theft), Go-dāna (Cow-Gift), and Suvarṇa-dakṣiṇā (Gold Fee): Karmic Consequence and Purificatory Merit
पूर्व कृच्छूं चरिष्ये5हं पश्चाच्छुभमिति प्रभो । धर्मराजं ब्रुवन्नेवें पतितो5स्मि महीतले,“तब मैंने धर्मराजसे कहा--प्रभो! मैं पहले पाप ही भोग लूँगा। उसके बाद पुण्यका उपभोग करूँगा। इतना कहना था कि मैं पृथ्वीपर गिरा
pūrvaṃ kṛcchraṃ cariṣye'haṃ paścāc chubham iti prabho | dharmarājaṃ bruvann evaṃ patito'smi mahītale ||
“ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ข้าพเจ้าขอรับทุกข์อันแสนสาหัส (ผลแห่งบาป) ก่อน แล้วจึงค่อยเสวยสิ่งอันเป็นมงคล (ผลแห่งบุญ) ภายหลัง” ครั้นกล่าวแก่ธรรมราชาเพียงเท่านี้ ข้าพเจ้าก็ล้มลงสู่พื้นพิภพในบัดดล.
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds ethical responsibility and karmic sequencing: the speaker expresses willingness to face painful consequences first (kṛcchra) and only later enjoy auspicious results (śubha). It reflects a moral attitude of accepting suffering as due recompense rather than seeking to postpone or evade it.
A Brahmin addresses Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira), declaring his intention to undergo hardship first and then enjoy merit afterwards. As he says this, he suddenly falls to the ground, indicating an immediate dramatic turn—suggesting collapse, fainting, or the onset of a destined consequence.