Shloka 23
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 180 — Svayaṃvara-Virodha and Pāṇḍava Parākrama
Draupadī Episode
तस्मात् त्वमपि भद्ठं ते न लोकान् हन्तुमरहसि । पराशर परॉल्लोकान् जानउज्ञानवतां वर
tasmāt tvam api bhadraṁ te na lokān hantum arhasi | parāśara paral lokān jānāsi jñānavatāṁ vara || sa tatrādyāpi rakṣāṁsi vṛkṣān aśmāna eva ca | bhakṣayan dṛśyate vahniḥ sadā parvaṇi parvaṇi ||
Karena itu, semoga sejahtera bagimu—engkau pun tidak patut hendak membinasakan dunia-dunia. Wahai Parāśara, yang utama di antara para bijak, engkau memahami hakikat alam seberang; maka tidak layak bagimu membawa kehancuran atas semua makhluk. Sebab hingga kini, di tempat itu juga, api itu tampak berulang-ulang pada tiap pergiliran musim, melahap rākṣasa, pepohonan, bahkan batu-batu.
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a powerful sage must restrain anger and destructive intent; true wisdom includes awareness of karmic and otherworldly consequences, so one should not seek total annihilation but act within dharma.
Vasiṣṭha addresses Parāśara, urging him not to destroy the worlds. He points to an ongoing sign—fire still seen consuming beings and even stones at recurring times—underscoring the lasting aftermath of past destructive acts and warning against repeating them.