Shloka 4
स्वर्गे दुर्योधनदर्शनम् | Duryodhana Seen in Heaven
Triviṣṭapa
स्वर्ग त्रिविष्टपं प्राप्प धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर: । दुर्योधन श्रिया जुष्टं ददर्शासीनमासने
svargaṃ triviṣṭapaṃ prāpya dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | duryodhanaṃ śriyā juṣṭaṃ dadarśāsīnam āsane ||
Parvenu au ciel, Triviṣṭapa, le roi Yudhiṣṭhira, seigneur du dharma, vit Duryodhana, paré d’une splendeur céleste, assis sur un trône divin, entouré de dieux rayonnants et des Sādhyas, êtres aux actes méritoires.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the subtlety of karma and dharma: worldly labels of ‘villain’ and ‘hero’ do not mechanically determine posthumous honor. Merit accrued through certain virtues (such as valor, generosity, or fulfilled duties) can yield heavenly results, urging ethical humility and deeper discernment.
Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira arrives in heaven (Triviṣṭapa) and is surprised to see Duryodhana there, radiant and seated on a throne—an image that sets up Yudhiṣṭhira’s ensuing moral questioning about justice, reward, and the fate of others.