इतः शापभयं तीव्रमितो दुःखं च पुत्रजम् । वरं पुत्रवियोगोऽस्तु न शापो द्विजसंभवः
itaḥ śāpabhayaṃ tīvramito duḥkhaṃ ca putrajam | varaṃ putraviyogo'stu na śāpo dvijasaṃbhavaḥ
“एक ओर भयंकर शाप का भय है, दूसरी ओर पुत्र-वियोग का दुःख। ब्राह्मण से उत्पन्न शाप की अपेक्षा पुत्र-वियोग ही श्रेष्ठ है।”
Himavān (in Sūta’s narration)
Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)
Scene: Himavān weighs two terrors—curse and son-separation—then chooses dharma: better separation than brahmin-born curse. A solemn, inward scene with symbolic balance imagery.
In dharma literature, disrespect toward the righteous (especially a brahmin sage) is portrayed as spiritually ruinous; sacrifice of personal attachment is preferred to adharma.
None directly; it is an ethical deliberation within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa storyline.
None.