Shloka 34
अग्निभय-प्रसङ्गे मन्दपालस्य शोकः
Mandapāla’s Lament amid the Threat of Fire
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्त: स भगवान् दाशाहेंणार्जुनेन च तैजसं रूपमास्थाय दावं दग्धुं प्रचक्रमे,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुनके ऐसा कहनेपर भगवान् अग्निने तेजोमय रूप धारण करके खाण्डववनको सब ओरसे जलाना आरम्भ कर दिया
vaiśampāyana uvāca | evam uktaḥ sa bhagavān dāśārheṇārjunena ca taijasaṃ rūpam āsthāya dāvaṃ dagdhuṃ pracakrame |
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Als Kṛṣṇa aus dem Geschlecht der Dāśārha und Arjuna ihn so anredeten, nahm der gesegnete Feuergott eine lodernde, strahlende Gestalt an und begann, den Khāṇḍava-Wald von allen Seiten zu verbrennen.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how immense acts—especially destructive ones—are often presented in the epic as proceeding under recognized authority (divine and heroic). It invites reflection on dharma: even when an action is empowered by gods and great warriors, its ethical weight lies in intention, sanction, and the far-reaching consequences for beings and the world.
After Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna speak to him, Agni assumes a radiant, fiery form and begins the conflagration of the Khāṇḍava forest from all sides, initiating the famous Khāṇḍava-dāha episode.