Shloka 1
अपन हू< बछ। है २ >> नवमो<्ध्याय: इन्द्रके द्वारा त्रिेशिराका वध, वृत्रासुरकी उत्पत्ति, उसके साथ इन्द्रका युद्ध तथा देवताओंकी पराजय युधिछिर उवाच कथमिन्द्रेण राजेन्द्र सभार्येण महात्मना । दुःखं प्राप्तं परं घोरमेतदिच्छामि वेदितुम्,युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--राजेन्द्र! पत्नीसहित महामना इन्द्रने कैसे अत्यन्त भयंकर दुःख प्राप्त किया था? यह मैं जानना चाहता हूँ
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: katham indreṇa rājendra sabhāryeṇa mahātmanā | duḥkhaṁ prāptaṁ paraṁ ghoraṁ etad icchāmi veditum ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O king of kings, how did the great-souled Indra—together with his consort—come to suffer such supremely dreadful sorrow? This I wish to understand.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models dhārmic inquiry: even the mightiest (Indra) can fall into grievous suffering, so one should seek causes and moral context rather than assume power guarantees righteousness or immunity from consequences.
Yudhiṣṭhira asks the interlocutor (addressed as rājendra) to explain the episode in which Indra, along with his consort, came to experience extreme and terrifying distress—introducing the ensuing account (Triśiras’ slaying, Vṛtra’s rise, and the devas’ setback).