Shloka 21
अथ स्वावसथं गत्वा स शय्यास्तरणानि च । कन्याश्वालंकृता दग्ध्वा ततो व्यपगत: पुन:
atha svāvasathaṃ gatvā sa śayyāstaraṇāni ca | kanyāśv-ālaṅkṛtā dagdhvā tato vyapagataḥ punaḥ ||
Puis, s’étant rendu dans son propre logis, il réduisit en cendres les lits et les couvertures qui s’y trouvaient, ainsi que les jeunes filles parées de vêtements et d’ornements ; ensuite, il se retira de ce lieu à nouveau.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical danger of unchecked anger and destructive power: when one acts without dharmic restraint, the outcome is catastrophic and morally weighty, serving as a cautionary exemplum within the Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic setting.
Vāyudeva narrates that the agent goes back to his lodging and burns the beds, coverings, and the ornamented maidens present there, then departs again—an abrupt, punitive act that intensifies the episode’s moral tension.