Shloka 17
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 181 — Svayaṃvara Aftermath: Arjuna–Karna Exchange and Bhīma–Śalya Contest
सोडग्नि: समभवद् दीप्तस्तं च देशं व्यदीपयत् । ततः सा शोकसंतप्ता भर्तृव्यसनकर्शिता
soḍagniḥ samabhavad dīptas taṃ ca deśaṃ vyadīpayat | tataḥ sā śokasaṃtaptā bhartṛvyasanakarśitā |
De pronto surgió un fuego ardiente que iluminó toda aquella región. Entonces la mujer brahmana—abrasada por el dolor y consumida por la desgracia que había caído sobre su esposo—quedó en pie, anegada en tristeza. En el relato que la rodea, su lamento y su súplica impotente no logran conmover al rey, quien, empujado por un impulso salvaje, devora a su marido; las lágrimas que caen de sus ojos se vuelven llamas, y de esa indignación moral nace la maldición que obliga al rey a cosechar la consecuencia de su crueldad.
गन्धर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage underscores that adharma—especially cruelty by one in power—produces consequences that spread beyond the immediate victim. The imagery of tears turning into fire conveys how grief and moral outrage can become a force of retribution: when restraint and compassion are abandoned, karma manifests as inevitable suffering and social disorder.
A brahmin woman, devastated by her husband’s death, is described as grief-stricken. A sudden, blazing fire arises and illuminates/burns the area. In the larger episode, the king Kalmāṣapāda, acting savagely, devours her husband; her tears become flames, and she pronounces a curse that determines the king’s fate and the continuation of his lineage through extraordinary means.