Shloka 166
Adhyāya 108: Paścima-dik—Varuṇa’s Realm, Sunset Cosmology, and Sacred-Geographic Markers
Suparṇa–Gālava संवाद
लब्धवान् युध्यमानौ द्वौ बृहन्तौ गजकच्छपौ । गालव! पूर्वकालकी बात है, मैं भूखसे पीड़ित होकर भारी चिन्तामें पड़ गया था, परंतु इसी दिशामें आनेपर दो विशाल प्राणी--हाथी और कछुआ मेरे हाथ लग गये, जो आपसमें लड़ रहे थे
labdhavān yudhyamānau dvau bṛhantau gajakacchapau | gālava! pūrvakālakī bāta hai, maiṃ bhūkha-se pīḍita hokara bhārī cintā-meṃ paṛa gayā thā, parantu isī diśā-meṃ āne-par do viśāla prāṇī—hāthī aura kacchuā—mere hātha laga gaye, jo āpas-meṃ laṛ rahe the |
Dijo Yūparṇa: «Gālava, esto ocurrió hace mucho tiempo. Atormentado por el hambre, caí en una grave angustia; pero al llegar por esta dirección, dos criaturas enormes vinieron a caer en mis manos—un elefante y una tortuga—que luchaban entre sí.»
युपर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata ethical tension: distress (here, hunger) can drive one into anxiety and force hard choices, yet circumstances may unexpectedly provide a means of survival. It invites reflection on how necessity, compassion, and dharma are negotiated when life is threatened.
Yuparṇa recounts to Gālava that, while suffering from hunger and worry, he came upon two massive beings—an elephant and a tortoise—locked in combat. Their fight results in his obtaining them, setting up the next part of the story about what he does thereafter.