ikṣā-daṇḍaṁ na yuñjate

purañjana uvāca

nūnaṁ tv akṛta-puṇyās te

bhṛtyā yeṣv īśvarāḥ śubhe

kṛtāgaḥsv ātmasāt kṛtvā

śikṣā-daṇḍaṁ na yuñjate

Purañjana said: Auspicious woman! If a master does not punish his servant to instruct him when the servant commits sin, because he considers the servant as a dependent, the servant should be considered unfortunate.

Dear wife! You have punished me by your anger. That is your mercy to teach this foolish servant who has committed offense. I will never give up in this life. He says this in two verses by introducing general principles. Considering the servant to be dependent on him (ātmasāt kṛtvā), the master does not punish the servant in order to teach him. That servant is unfortunate. Those who get punished are fortunate. I have been punished, and consider myself fortunate. On the spiritual level, the devotee thinks “Though I am reformed now, it is difficult to bear the public criticism and dissatisfaction in my heart caused by those temporary sinful acts. The Supreme Lord himself has punished me to teach me. I will not give up proper intelligence again in this life.” He addresses the intelligence by his mind in two verses.

|| 4.26.22 ||

paramo 'nugraho daṇḍo

bhṛtyeṣu prabhuṇārpitaḥ

bālo na veda tat tanvi

bandhu-kṛtyam amarṣaṇaḥ

O slender woman! The punishment awarded to the servant by the master is the greatest mercy. Only a foolish person will become angry at his punishment, because he does not know it is done out of friendship.

The victim of punishment who laments is a fool. Amarṣaṇaḥ means one who becomes angry. The devotee speaks internally to good intelligence. I have given up good intelligence and now repent. That is my punishment given by you.  It is the highest mercy to me, for I will not become attached to sin again.  

|| 4.26.23 ||

sā tvaṁ mukhaṁ sudati subhrv anurāga-bhāra-