Shloka 12
Jarītā–Śārṅgā-saṃvāda: Ākhu-haraṇa and the Approach of Agni (आखुहरणं अग्न्यागमनश्च)
जनमेजय उवाच किमर्थ भगवानग्नि: खाण्डवं दग्धुमिच्छति । रक्ष्यमाणं महेन्द्रेण नानासत््वसमायुतम्,जनमेजयने पूछा--ब्रह्मन! भगवान् अग्निदेव देवराज इन्द्रके द्वारा सुरक्षित और अनेक प्रकारके जीव-जन्तुओंसे भरे हुए खाण्डववनको किसलिये जलाना चाहते थे?
Janamejaya uvāca: kimarthaṁ bhagavān Agniḥ Khāṇḍavaṁ dagdhum icchati? rakṣyamāṇaṁ Mahendreṇa nānāsattvasamāyutam.
Janamejaya said: “For what reason does the divine Fire-god, Agni, wish to burn the Khāṇḍava forest—though it is protected by great Indra and filled with living beings of many kinds?”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds ethical inquiry: even when a divine act involves destruction, it invites scrutiny about purpose, justification, and the moral weight of harming many living beings—especially when that domain is under another deity’s protection.
Janamejaya asks the sage why Agni intends to burn the Khāṇḍava forest, despite Indra’s protection and the forest being full of diverse creatures—setting up the explanation of the causes and stakes of the Khāṇḍava-dāha episode.