Shloka 18
Dharma-vyādha on the Subtlety of Dharma, Karma, and the Continuity of the Jīva (Āraṇyaka-parva 200)
“यह कहकर राजाने मुझे तथा प्रावारकर्ण नामक उलूकको यथोचित स्थानपर पहुँचा दिया और उसी रथसे स्वर्गकी ओर प्रस्थान करके वहाँ यथोचित स्थान प्राप्त कर लिया। इस प्रकार मैंने चिरजीवी होकर अनुभव किया है"--यह बात पाण्डवोंसे मार्कण्डेयजीने कही ।। पाण्डवाश्लोचु: साधु शोभनं भवता कृतं राजानमिन्द्रद्मुम्न॑ स्वर्गलोकाच्च्युतं स्वे स्थाने प्रतिपादयतेत्यथैतानब्रवीदसौ ननु देवकीपुत्रेणापि कृष्णेन नरके मज्जमानो राजर्षिनिगस्तस्मात् कृच्छात् पुन: समुद्धृत्य स्वर्ग प्रापित इति,पाण्डव बोले--'आपने यह बहुत अच्छा किया कि स्वर्गलोकसे भ्रष्ट हुए राजा इन्द्रद्यम्मको पुनः अपने स्थानकी प्राप्ति करवा दी।” तब इनसे मार्कण्डेयजीने कहा --देवकीनन्दन भगवान् श्रीकृष्णने भी नरकमें डूबते हुए राजर्षि नृगको उस भारी संकटसे छुड़ाकर फिर स्वर्गमें पहुँचा दिया'
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
"iti uktvā rājā mām ca prāvārakarṇa-nāmānam ulūkam ca yathocita-sthāne prāpayām āsa, tenaiva rathena svargaṃ prati prasthāya tatra yathocitaṃ sthānaṃ prāpya ca" iti | "evaṃ mayā cirajīvī bhūtvā anubhūtaṃ"—iti etad pāṇḍavebhyo mārkaṇḍeya uvāca ||
pāṇḍavā ūcuḥ | sādhu śobhanaṃ bhavatā kṛtam—rājānam indradyumnam svargalokāc cyutaṃ sve sthāne pratipāditavān iti ||
tataḥ etān abravīd asau (mārkaṇḍeyaḥ) | nanu devakīputreṇa api kṛṣṇena narake majjamānaḥ rājarṣi-nṛgaḥ tasmāt kṛcchrāt punar samuddhṛtya svargaṃ prāpita iti ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Having said this, the king escorted me and the owl named Prāvārakarṇa to their proper places. Then, in that very chariot, he set out toward heaven and attained the station befitting him there. Thus have I, living long, personally witnessed it”—this is what Mārkaṇḍeya related to the Pāṇḍavas. The Pāṇḍavas said: “Well done—noble indeed is what you have accomplished: you restored King Indradyumna, who had fallen from the heavenly world, to his rightful place.” Then Mārkaṇḍeya replied: “Indeed, even Devakī’s son, Kṛṣṇa, rescued the royal sage Nṛga as he was sinking into hell, drew him out of that grievous distress, and enabled him to reach heaven again.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Merit can be lost and regained: even one who has fallen from heaven due to karmic lapse may be restored through truthful testimony, righteous effort, and compassionate intervention. The passage highlights dharma as restorative—ethical action and grace can reverse decline.
Mārkaṇḍeya concludes his account: the king escorts the witnesses properly and then attains his rightful place in heaven. The Pāṇḍavas praise Mārkaṇḍeya for restoring Indradyumna, and Mārkaṇḍeya adds a parallel example—Kṛṣṇa rescued the royal sage Nṛga from hell and enabled him to reach heaven.