FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.20.18

स्पृशन्तं पादयो: प्रेम्णा व्रीडितं स्वेन कर्मणा । शतक्रतुं परिष्वज्य विद्वेषं विससर्ज ह ॥ १८ ॥
spṛśantaṁ pādayoḥ premṇā
[sprishantam paadayoh premnaa]
vrīḍitaṁ svena karmaṇā
[vreeditam svena karmanaa]
śata-kratuṁ pariṣvajya
[shata-kratum parishvajya]
vidveṣaṁ visasarja ha
[vidvesham visasarja ha]
spṛśantam — touching pādayoḥ — the feet premṇā — in ecstasy vrīḍitam — ashamed svena — his own karmaṇā — by activities śata-kratum — King Indra pariṣvajya — embracing vidveṣam — envy visasarja — gave up ha — of course.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
spṛśantaṁ pādayoḥ premṇā
spṛśantam
touching
pādayoḥ
the feet
premṇā
in ecstasy
vrīḍitaṁ svena karmaṇā
vrīḍitam
ashamed
svena
his own
karmaṇā
by activities
śata-kratuṁ pariṣvajya
śata-kratum
King Indra
pariṣvajya
embracing
vidveṣaṁ visasarja ha
vidveṣam
envy
visasarja
gave up
ha
of course.
As King Indra was standing by, he became ashamed of his own activities and fell down before King Pṛthu to touch his lotus feet. But Pṛthu Mahārāja immediately embraced him in great ecstasy and gave up all envy against him for his having stolen the horse meant for the sacrifice.

There are many cases in which a person becomes an offender to the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava and later becomes repentant. Here also we find that although the King of heaven, Indra, was so powerful that he accompanied Lord Viṣṇu, he felt himself a great offender for stealing Pṛthu Mahārāja’s horse that was meant for sacrifice. An offender at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava is never excused by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are many instances illustrating this fact. Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was offended by Durvāsā Muni, a great sage and mystic yogī, and Durvāsā also had to fall down at the lotus feet of Ambarīṣa Mahārāja.

Indra decided to fall down at the lotus feet of King Pṛthu, but the King was so magnanimous a Vaiṣṇava that he did not want Mahārāja Indra to fall down at his feet. Instead, King Pṛthu immediately picked him up and embraced him, and both of them forgot all the past incidents. Both King Indra and Mahārāja Pṛthu were envious and angry with each other, but since both of them were Vaiṣṇavas, or servants of Lord Viṣṇu, it was their duty to adjust the cause of their envy. This is also a first-class example of cooperative behavior between Vaiṣṇavas. In the present days, however, because people are not Vaiṣṇavas, they fight perpetually among one another and are vanquished without finishing the mission of human life. There is a great need to propagate the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the world so that even though people sometimes become angry and malicious toward one another, because of their being Kṛṣṇa conscious such rivalry, competition and envy can be adjusted without difficulty.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Embracing Indra, who was ashamed of his actions and touched his feet, he gave up hatred of Indra. Indra was ashamed of his action of stealing the horse.
Indra, ashamed, fell to touch Pṛthu's feet; Pṛthu embraced him and dropped all enmity at once. The wronged king's right move is the embrace, not the recitation of the offense; mercy is its own restoration.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose repentant approach am I about to receive, and will I embrace or recite their offense?
  • Where would full instant forgiveness restore more than careful negotiation?
📝 My note

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