Shloka 4
आदि पर्व — अध्याय 148: कुन्ती–ब्राह्मणसंवादः (दुःखमूल-प्रश्नः) / Kuntī and the Brahmin: Inquiry into the Root of Suffering
आयुधागारमादीप्य दग्ध्वा चैव पुरोचनम् | षट् प्राणिनो निधायेह द्रवामोडनभिलक्षिता:,“इस आयुधागारमें आग लगाकर पुरोचनको जला करके इसके भीतर छ: प्राणियोंको रखकर हम इस तरह भाग निकलें कि कोई हमें देख न सके”
āyudhāgāram ādīpya dagdhvā caiva purocanam | ṣaṭ prāṇino nidhāyeha dravāmoḍanabhilakṣitāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Lasst uns das Waffenhaus in Brand setzen und auch Purocana darin verbrennen. Dann sollen wir sechs lebende Wesen hier hineinlegen und so entkommen, dass niemand uns erkennen kann.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds a dharmic dilemma: in the face of lethal injustice, characters resort to concealment and destructive tactics. It invites reflection on whether self-preservation can justify deception and the endangerment of other lives, highlighting the Mahābhārata’s recurring theme that moral choices in crisis are complex and often tragic.
A plan is being described to set the weapons-house on fire, ensure Purocana is burned, leave six living beings inside to create the appearance of the intended victims’ deaths, and then escape without being recognized.