Shloka 23
Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant
धृतराष्ट्र बोले--महर्षे! जो ब्राह्मण कोमलस्वभाव
gautama uvāca | supuṣpitaṃ kinnararājajuṣṭaṃ priyaṃ vanaṃ nandanaṃ nāradasya | gandharvāṇām apsarasāṃ ca śaśvat tatra tvāhaṃ hastinaṃ yātayiṣye ||
Wika ni Gautama: “Naroon ang kakahuyang Nandana—kaibig-ibig, napapalamutian ng saganang mga bulaklak, dinadalaw ng mga panginoon ng Kinnara, at laging mahal nina Nārada, ng mga Gandharva, at ng mga Apsaras. Kahit makarating ka roon, mula roon din kita ibabalik at babawiin ko ang aking elepante.”
गौतम उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even celestial privilege and access to heavenly realms do not override moral accountability; a sage’s dharmic authority ensures that what is wrongly held must be restored, regardless of the splendor of the destination.
Gautama points to the famed heavenly grove Nandana—beloved of Nārada and inhabited by Gandharvas and Apsarases—and declares that even if the other party goes there, he will still retrieve and reclaim his elephant.