Shloka 4
खाण्डवदाहोत्तर-वरप्रदानम्
Boons after the Khāṇḍava Burning
खाण्डवे दहामाने तु भूता: शतसहसत्रश: । उत्पेतुर्भरवान् नादान् विनदन्तः समन्ततः,जब खाण्डववनमें आग फैल गयी और वह अच्छी तरह जलने लगा, उस समय लाखों प्राणी भयानक चीत्कार करते हुए चारों ओर उछलने-कूदने लगे
khāṇḍave dahamāne tu bhūtāḥ śatasahasraśaḥ | utpetur bhairavān nādān vinadantaḥ samantataḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When the Khāṇḍava forest was burning and had caught fully, hundreds of thousands of living beings sprang up on every side, crying out with terrifying sounds. The scene underscores the vast, indiscriminate suffering that accompanies acts of destruction, even when driven by larger designs and alliances.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that large-scale destructive acts produce widespread suffering beyond the immediate targets. It invites ethical reflection on collateral harm and the responsibility borne by agents and allies when pursuing goals through violence.
As the Khāṇḍava forest becomes fully engulfed in flames, innumerable creatures panic and leap about in all directions, emitting terrifying cries, conveying the chaos and horror of the conflagration.