Shloka 43
स्वर्गारोहणपर्व — तृतीयोऽध्यायः
Indra and Dharma’s Consolation; Celestial Gaṅgā Purification
लोहकुम्भ्य: शिलाश्वैव नादृश्यन्त भयानका: । वहाँ पापकर्मी पुरुषोंको जो यातनाएँ दी जाती थीं वे सहसा अदृश्य हो गयीं। न वैतरणी नदी रह गयी
lohakumbhyaḥ śilāś caiva nādṛśyanta bhayānakāḥ | tato yayau vṛto devaiḥ kururājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | dharmeṇa sahito dhīmān stūyamāno maharṣibhiḥ ||
On ne voyait plus les effroyables chaudrons de fer ni les pierres brûlantes, pareilles au fer. Les supplices infligés aux hommes aux œuvres mauvaises s’évanouirent soudain. Le fleuve Vaitaraṇī n’était plus, ni l’arbre Kūṭa-śālmalī. Alors le roi des Kurus, Yudhiṣṭhira—sage, accompagné de Dharma, entouré des dieux et loué par les grands ṛṣis—poursuivit sa route. La scène marque un tournant moral : la vision terrifiante du châtiment disparaît, et le roi juste, sous la conduite de Dharma, est mené vers le domaine où les héroïques Pāṇḍavas et les fils de Dhṛtarāṣṭra, ayant renoncé à la colère, demeurent en paix, chacun à sa place.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the most terrifying visions of punishment are subordinate to Dharma’s larger purpose: to test, refine, and finally lead the righteous toward peace. The passage emphasizes that anger and hatred are ultimately relinquished, and that moral order culminates in reconciliation under divine oversight.
The dreadful implements associated with torment (iron cauldrons and burning stones) are no longer visible. Yudhiṣṭhira, accompanied by the personified Dharma and escorted by gods while praised by seers, is led onward toward the place where the Pāṇḍavas and the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra reside peacefully, having abandoned wrath.