Shloka 11
Ārṣṭiṣeṇa’s Siddhi and the Tīrtha-Boons; Sindhudvīpa–Devāpi Brāhmaṇya; Viśvāmitra’s Tapas Begins
क्षुरेण शितधारेण उत्पपात महावने । महोदरस्य तल्लग्नं जंघायां वै यदृच्छया
kṣureṇa śitadhāreṇa utpapāta mahāvane | mahodarasya tallagnaṃ jaṅghāyāṃ vai yadṛcchayā ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: En aquel gran bosque, una navaja de filo agudo y cortante saltó de pronto; por puro azar quedó clavada en la espinilla de Mahodara. El episodio muestra cómo, en medio de la violencia y el desorden, el daño puede surgir inesperadamente y sin intención, recordando la fragilidad de la vida y el peso moral de los actos que desatan el caos.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the role of contingency (yadṛcchā) in human suffering: once violence and disorder are set in motion, injury can occur unpredictably, reminding readers of life’s fragility and the ethical responsibility to restrain harmful conditions that breed unintended consequences.
In a great forest setting, a sharp razor suddenly springs up and, by chance, becomes embedded in Mahodara’s shin, describing an abrupt and accidental injury within the unfolding events narrated by Vaiśampāyana.