Shloka 15
Karṇa’s advance against the Pāṇḍava host; Arjuna’s clash with the Saṃśaptakas (कर्णस्य पाण्डवसेनाप्रवेशः—अर्जुनस्य संशप्तकसंप्रहारः)
एवमस्त्विति तान् देव: प्रत्युक्त्वा प्राविशद् दिवम् ते तु लब्धवरा: प्रीता: सम्प्रधार्य परस्परम्
evam astv iti tān devaḥ pratyuktvā prāviśad divam | te tu labdhavarāḥ prītāḥ sampradhārya parasparam ||
„So sei es“, erwiderte ihnen das göttliche Wesen; nachdem es ihre Bitte gewährt hatte, zog es in den Himmel davon. Die drei Asuras, erfreut über den erlangten Segen, berieten sich daraufhin miteinander und setzten die nächste Stufe ihres Vorhabens in Gang.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral tension: divine gifts (boons) are value-neutral, but their ethical outcome depends on the recipient’s intention. When power gained through tapas is guided by pride or aggression, it becomes a catalyst for further harm rather than uplift.
In Duryodhana’s recounting of an ancient episode, a deity grants boons and returns to heaven. The boon-receivers, pleased, then confer among themselves—preparing the next step of their plan (in the wider context, the asuras’ subsequent actions leading toward the Tripura episode).