Shloka 30
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
पार्वतेय इति ख्यात: काउज्चनाचलसंनिभ: । द्वितीय: शलभस्तेषामसुराणां बभूव ह
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
krathaḥ pārvataya iti khyātaḥ kauñcanācalasaṃnibhaḥ |
dvitīyaḥ śalabhas teṣām asurāṇāṃ babhūva ha ||
Waiśampāyana berkata: Dānawa perkasa bernama Kratha dikenal di kalangan manusia sebagai Pārvateya; tubuhnya amat luas, laksana gunung emas. Dan yang kedua dari para Asura itu, bernama Śalabha, pun lahir pula di dunia manusia. Dalam daftar penjelmaan ini, wiracarita menegaskan sebuah peringatan moral: ketika daya-daya perusak mengambil rupa manusia, mereka kerap tampil sebagai raja-raja terkemuka; kemilau kejayaan mereka dapat menyamarkan dorongan adharma yang berbahaya, yang kelak mengguncang keseimbangan dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage cautions that power and royal eminence can mask destructive tendencies: forces aligned with adharma may enter the human sphere as celebrated rulers, and discernment (viveka) is needed to judge by conduct rather than appearance.
Vaiśampāyana continues a catalogue describing how various Asuras/Dānavas take birth on earth as kings. Here he identifies the Dānava Kratha as the human king Pārvateya (likened to a golden mountain in stature) and notes Śalabha as another among those Asuras who likewise becomes embodied.