Shloka 6
अथ मत्स्यो5ब्रवीत् कड्कं॑ देवरूपमिव स्थितम् । मरुद्गणैरुपासीन त्रिदशानामिवेश्वरम्
atha matsyo 'bravīt kaṅkaṃ devarūpam iva sthitam | marudgaṇair upāsīnaṃ tridaśānām iveśvaram ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Alors le roi Matsya (Virāṭa) s’adressa à Kaṅka, qui se tenait avec une allure divine, servi par des troupes de Maruts, tel le maître des Trente-Trois dieux. Voyant les Pāṇḍavas rayonnants comme des feux ardents et comblés de splendeur, Virāṭa réfléchit un court instant ; puis, la colère montant, il parla à Kaṅka, qui resplendissait comme Indra au milieu des Maruts.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral tension in governance: a ruler should deliberate carefully, yet strong emotions—especially anger—can quickly overtake judgment. The divine comparisons also remind the listener that true nobility and restraint can appear 'godlike,' and that one should respond to extraordinary virtue with discernment rather than rashness.
Virāṭa (the Matsya king) sees the Pāṇḍavas’ blazing splendor and, after a brief inner reflection, becomes angry and addresses Kaṅka (Yudhiṣṭhira in disguise). The narrator frames Kaṅka’s presence with grand imagery—like Indra among the Maruts—emphasizing the concealed greatness of the Pāṇḍavas even while they live incognito.