Shloka 8
Go-apahāra (Cattle Theft), Go-dāna (Cow-Gift), and Suvarṇa-dakṣiṇā (Gold Fee): Karmic Consequence and Purificatory Merit
यह सुनकर भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण उस कुएँके पास गये। उन्होंने उस गिरगिटको कुएँसे बाहर निकाला और अपने पावन हाथके स्पर्शसे राजा नृगका उद्धार कर दिया। इसके बाद उनसे परिचय पूछा। तब राजाने उन्हें अपना परिचय देते हुए कहा--'प्रभो! पूर्वजन्ममें मैं राजा नृग था, जिसने एक सहस्र यज्ञोंका अनुष्ठान किया था” ।।
tathā bruvāṇaṃ tu tam āha mādhavaḥ | śubhaṃ tvayā karma kṛtaṃ na pāpakam | kathaṃ bhavān durgatim īdṛśīṃ gato narendra tad brūhi kim etad īdṛśam ||
Nang marinig ito, nagtungo si Śrī Kṛṣṇa sa balon. Iniahon niya ang butiki mula roon at, sa paghipo ng kanyang banal na kamay, iniligtas si Haring Nṛga. Pagkaraan ay tinanong niya ang kanyang pagkakakilanlan; at sinabi ng hari: “Panginoon! Sa nakaraang buhay, ako si Haring Nṛga na nagsagawa ng isang libong yajña.” At habang nagsasalita ang hari, sinabi ni Mādhava (Śrī Kṛṣṇa): “Mabubuting gawa ang iyong nagawa, hindi kasalanan. Paano kung gayon, O pinuno ng mga tao, napasapit ka sa ganitong abang kalagayan? Ipagbigay-alam mo—ano ang sanhi ng kakaibang kapalarang ito?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a life of generally meritorious action can be shadowed by a specific fault or unresolved ethical breach; dharma requires careful attention to particulars (especially harm done to others), and one must inquire into causes rather than assume that ‘good deeds’ automatically prevent suffering.
After the king (formerly Nṛga) identifies himself and his past merits, Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava) responds with a pointed question: since the king’s actions were auspicious, how did he come to such a degraded condition? Kṛṣṇa invites him to explain the precise cause behind his misfortune.