Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 16
Kṛṣṇa Leads Kālayavana to Mucukunda; The Yavana Is Burned; Mucukunda’s Prayers and Boon of Bhakti
लब्ध्वा गुहं ते स्व:पालं मुचुकुन्दमथाब्रुवन् । राजन् विरमतां कृच्छ्राद् भवान् न: परिपालनात् ॥ १६ ॥
labdhvā guhaṁ te svaḥ-pālaṁ mucukundam athābruvan rājan viramatāṁ kṛcchrād bhavān naḥ paripālanāt
Nang makamtan ng mga diyos si Kārttikeya bilang kanilang heneral, sinabi nila kay Mucukunda, “O Hari, maaari ka nang tumigil sa mabigat na tungkuling pag-ingat sa amin.”
FAQs
This verse shows that even righteous protection can become a severe hardship; the devas acknowledge Mucukunda’s strenuous service and ask him to cease, highlighting the heavy responsibility carried by a kshatriya king.
Mucukunda had long protected the devas in their conflicts, and they found him resting in a cave; recognizing his exhausted condition, they requested that he stop the difficult task of guarding them.
Service and responsibility are sacred, but prolonged overburdening leads to depletion; this verse encourages responsible duty balanced with timely rest and trusting divine arrangement when one’s role is fulfilled.