Shloka 1
कुन्ती-युधिष्ठिरसंवादः
Kuntī–Yudhiṣṭhira Dialogue on Bhīma’s Mission
वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! उधर रात व्यतीत होनेपर वारणावत नगरके सारे नागरिक बड़ी उतावलीके साथ पाण्डुकुमारोंकी दशा देखनेके लिये उस लाक्षागृहके समीप आये
Vaiśampāyana uvāca—Janamejaya! tataḥ rātryāṃ vyatītāyāṃ Vāraṇāvata-nagarasya sarve nāgarāḥ mahāutkaṇṭhyena Pāṇḍu-kumārāṇāṃ daśāṃ draṣṭuṃ tasya lākṣāgṛhasya samīpam ājagmuḥ.
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O Janamejaya, als die Nacht vorüber war, kamen alle Bürger der Stadt Vāraṇāvata, von ängstlicher Unruhe getrieben, in großer Hast in die Nähe jenes Lackhauses, um zu sehen, was aus den Söhnen Pāṇḍus geworden sei.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral atmosphere around adharma: when deceit and violence are set in motion (the lac-house plot), society is gripped by fear and concern for the vulnerable. It implicitly contrasts public compassion with the hidden cruelty of political schemes.
After the night passes, the people of Vāraṇāvata hurry to the lac house to find out the fate of the Pāṇḍavas, expecting news after the dangerous events associated with that flammable dwelling.