Shloka 28
Adhyāya 33 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Post-Conflict Remorse and Inquiry on Āśrama Discipline (शोक-विमर्शः, आश्रम-जिज्ञासा)
तथैव पृथिवीं लब्ध्वा ब्राह्म॒णा वेदपारगा: । संश्रिता दानवानां वै साहाार्थ दर्पमोहिता:
tathaiva pṛthivīṃ labdhvā brāhmaṇā vedapāragāḥ | saṃśritā dānavānāṃ vai sahārtha-darpamohitāḥ ||
So too, after bringing the earth under their control, the gods slew those thousand forest-dwelling Brahmins, famed in the three worlds by the name Śālāvṛka. Though they had mastered the Vedas, they had, deluded by pride and by the lure of gain, taken refuge with the Dānavas and aligned themselves in their support. The episode underscores that learning without humility and righteous allegiance can become a cause of ruin, and that siding with adharma for advantage invites severe consequence.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vedic learning and status do not protect one who abandons dharma: pride (darpa) and self-interest (artha) can delude even the learned, and aligning with unrighteous forces leads to downfall.
After subduing the earth, the Devas kill a group of a thousand forest-dwelling Brahmins, renowned as Śālāvṛka, because they had taken refuge with the Dānavas and supported them, driven by pride and the pursuit of advantage.