Shloka 28
नियोगप्रसङ्गः — The Niyoga Episode: Births of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and Vidura
ऋषेस्तस्य तपस्तीव्रं न शशाक निरीक्षितुम् ह्ृता गौ: सा सदा तेन प्रपातस्तु न तर्कित:
ṛṣes tasya tapas tīvraṃ na śaśāka nirīkṣitum | hṛtā gauḥ sā sadā tena prapātas tu na tarkitaḥ ||
Mereka tak sanggup menangkap kedahsyatan daya tapa sang resi yang begitu keras. Setelah merampas sapi itu, mereka pun tidak memikirkan bahwa perbuatan itu akan menyeret mereka sendiri pada kejatuhan.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Intense tapas is a moral and spiritual force that safeguards dharma; ignoring it and committing wrongful appropriation leads to inevitable consequences. The verse highlights how attachment and the urge to please can cloud judgment and make one overlook the ethical weight of an action.
In the context of the surrounding episode, a revered sage’s beloved cow is taken away. The perpetrators fail to recognize the sage’s ascetic power and do not anticipate that this wrongdoing will cause their downfall.