Shloka 17
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
पश्यतामथ यक्षाणां कुण्डधारो महाद्युति: | निपत्य पतितो भूमौ देवानां भरतर्षभ
paśyatām atha yakṣāṇāṁ kuṇḍadhāro mahādyutiḥ | nipatya patito bhūmau devānāṁ bharatarṣabha ||
Bhīṣma said: “Then, before the very eyes of the Yakṣas, the radiant Kuṇḍadhāra suddenly fell and lay collapsed upon the ground—O bull among the Bharatas—(an event that even the gods took note of).”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the suddenness and inevitability of downfall even for the brilliant and powerful, suggesting that dharma-oriented reflection should account for impermanence and the higher order that governs outcomes beyond mere strength or status.
Bhīṣma narrates an incident witnessed by the Yakṣas: the splendid figure named Kuṇḍadhāra abruptly falls and lies on the ground, an event framed as significant enough to be associated with the gods and addressed to the Bharata listener.