brÄhmaṇÄrtho hy apahá¹›to
hartÄraá¹ pÄtayaty adhaḥ
ajÄnantam api hy enaá¹
ná¹›gaá¹ brÄhmaṇa-gaur iva
brÄhmaṇa - of a brÄhmaṇa; arthaḥ - the property; hi - indeed; apahá¹›taḥ - taken away; hartÄram - the taker; pÄtayati - causes to fall; adhaḥ - down; ajÄnantam - unaware; api - even; hi - indeed; enam - this person; ná¹›gam - King Ná¹›ga; brÄhmaṇa - of the brÄhmaṇa; gauḥ - the cow; iva - as.
When a brÄhmaṇa’s property is stolen, even unknowingly, it certainly causes the person who takes it to fall down, just as the brÄhmaṇa’s cow did to Ná¹›ga.
The Lord here demonstrates that His instructions are not theoretical but practical, as seen concretely in the case of Ná¹›ga MahÄrÄja.
