Shloka 13
गान्धारीपुत्रोत्पत्तिः — The Birth of Gāndhārī’s Hundred Sons (and Yuyutsu); Omens and Counsel on Succession
ततस्ते शूलमारोप्य त॑ मुनि रक्षिणस्तदा | प्रतिजग्मुर्महीपालं धनान्यादाय तान्यथ,इस प्रकार वे रक्षक माण्डव्य मुनिको शूलीपर चढ़ाकर वह सारा धन साथ ले राजाके पास लौट गये
tataste śūlamāropya taṁ munirakṣiṇas tadā | pratijagmur mahīpālaṁ dhanāny ādāya tāny atha ||
Daraufhin kehrten jene Wächter, nachdem sie den Weisen auf den Pfahl gesetzt hatten, mit all jenem Reichtum zum König zurück.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of punitive action based on suspicion and institutional momentum: when authority acts without careful inquiry and compassion, it can violate dharma by harming the innocent, creating moral debt that must later be addressed.
After treating the sage as culpable, the guards impale him on a stake and then go back to the king, bringing the recovered wealth with them—reporting success while the wrongful punishment remains unexamined.