Shloka 44
साथ ही उस हिंसक पशुओंको मारनेवाले व्याधको ले जानेके लिये स्वर्गसे एक सुन्दर विमान उतर आया, जो अप्सराओंके गीतों और वाद्योंकी मधुर ध्वनिसे मुखरित होनेके कारण बड़ा मनोरम जान पड़ता था ।। तद् भूत॑ सर्वभूतानामभावाय किलार्जुन । तपस्तप्त्वा वरं प्राप्त कृतमन्ध॑ स्वयम्भुवा,अर्जुन! लोग कहते हैं कि उस जन्तुने पूर्वजन्ममें तप करके सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंका संहार कर डालनेके लिये वर प्राप्त किया था; इसीलिये ब्रह्माजीने उसे अन्धा बना दिया था
tad bhūtaṁ sarvabhūtānām abhāvāya kilārjuna | tapas taptvā varaṁ prāptaṁ kṛtamandhaṁ svayambhuvā ||
Vāyu said: “O Arjuna, people say that this creature, in a former birth, performed austerities and obtained a boon aimed at the destruction of all living beings. Therefore Svayambhū (Brahmā), to restrain that perilous power, made it blind.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Austerity and spiritual power (tapas) can yield formidable boons, but intent matters: a boon sought for universal destruction is ethically dangerous. The verse highlights the safeguarding role of cosmic authority (Brahmā/Svayambhū), who limits such destructive capacity—here by imposing blindness—so that power does not overturn dharma and the welfare of beings.
Vāyudeva addresses Arjuna and explains a tradition about a certain being: it is said to have gained, through past-life austerities, a boon oriented toward the annihilation of all creatures. To prevent that outcome, Brahmā is said to have made the being blind, curbing its ability to carry out widespread harm.