Shloka 9
धृतराष्ट्रपुत्रनामावलिः (Roster of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Children) / Names of the Kauravas in Order
आसनस्थं ततो धर्म दृष्टवोपालभत प्रभु: । कि नु तद् दुष्कृतं कर्म मया कृतमजानता,अणी कहते हैं शूलके अग्रभागको, उससे युक्त होनेके कारण वे मुनि तभीसे सभी लोकोंमें “अणी-माण्डव्य” कहलाने लगे। एक समय परमात्मतत्त्वके ज्ञाता विप्रवर माण्डव्यने धर्मराजके भवनमें जाकर उन्हें दिव्य आसनपर बैठे देखा। उस समय उन शक्तिशाली महर्षिने उन्हें उलाहना देते हुए पूछा--“मैंने अनजानमें कौन-सा ऐसा पाप किया था, जिसके फलका भोग मुझे इस रूपमें प्राप्त हुआ? मुझे शीघ्र इसका रहस्य बताओ। फिर मेरी तपस्याका बल देखो”
āsanasthaṃ tato dharmaṃ dṛṣṭvopalabhat prabhuḥ | ki nu tad duṣkṛtaṃ karma mayā kṛtam ajānatā |
Then, seeing Dharma seated upon his throne, the mighty sage reproached him: “What wrongful deed did I commit unknowingly, that I have been made to suffer such a consequence? Tell me at once the hidden reason—then behold the power of my austerity.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical challenge: suffering is questioned in terms of moral causality. It highlights the tension between strict karmic retribution and fairness when an act is done without intent or knowledge, prompting reflection on how justice (Dharma) should weigh intention, awareness, and consequence.
The sage Māṇḍavya (known as Aṇī-Māṇḍavya) approaches Dharmarāja, sees him seated in authority, and confronts him. He asks what wrongdoing he unknowingly committed that led to his painful fate, demanding an immediate explanation and invoking the potency of his austerities.