Shloka 21
इन्द्रस्य पाण्डवैः समागमः
Indra’s Meeting with the Pāṇḍavas
मानुषेण कृतं कर्म विधत्स्व यदनन्तरम् । स तच्छुत्वा तु संक़रुद्धः सर्ववक्षणणाधिप:
mānuṣeṇa kṛtaṃ karma vidhatsva yad anantaram | sa tac chrutvā tu saṅkruddhaḥ sarva-vakṣaṇaṇādhipaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Having done a deed by human effort, now set in order what should follow next.” Hearing those words, the lord who commanded all forces grew enraged—his anger rising at the implication that mere human action could dictate the course of events, and that the next step must be weighed in light of responsibility and consequence.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Human action (karma) carries responsibility: after acting, one must consciously determine the proper next step. The verse highlights ethical sequencing—what follows an act should be guided by discernment, not impulse.
A directive is given to proceed appropriately after a humanly performed deed. On hearing it, a powerful commander-lord becomes angry, suggesting tension between counsel and authority, and between human initiative and the ruler’s will.