Shloka 20
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 180 — Svayaṃvara-Virodha and Pāṇḍava Parākrama
Draupadī Episode
एवं प्रतिज्ञा सत्येयं तवानघ भविष्यति । न चैवं सामरा लोका गमिष्यन्ति पराभवम्
evaṁ pratijñā satyeyam tavānagha bhaviṣyati | na caivaṁ sāmarā lokā gamiṣyanti parābhavam, anagha || nimittabhūtas tvaṁ cātra krato vāsiṣṭha-nandana | tat satraṁ muñca bhadraṁ te samāptam idam astu te ||
Aurva berkata: “Wahai yang tak bercela, dengan bertindak demikian nazarmu sungguh akan menjadi benar, dan dunia-dunia beserta para dewa tidak akan jatuh ke dalam kebinasaan. Dan engkau, wahai keturunan Vasiṣṭha, di dalam kurban ini hanyalah sebab perantara. Karena itu tinggalkanlah sattrā ini; semoga kebaikan menyertaimu—biarlah upacara ini kini berakhir sebagaimana mestinya.”
ऑर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
A vow should be fulfilled without causing disproportionate harm: Aurva urges restraint so that the pledge is honored while preventing the ruin of the worlds. He also stresses humility about agency—one may be only an instrument (nimitta) within a larger moral-causal order.
Aurva addresses a descendant of Vasiṣṭha engaged in a prolonged sacrificial rite aimed at destructive ends. He counsels him to stop the satra, assuring that the vow can still be considered fulfilled and that the cosmic order (including gods and worlds) will be spared catastrophe.