Shloka 34
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्त: स भगवान् दाशाहेंणार्जुनेन च तैजसं रूपमास्थाय दावं दग्धुं प्रचक्रमे,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुनके ऐसा कहनेपर भगवान् अग्निने तेजोमय रूप धारण करके खाण्डववनको सब ओरसे जलाना आरम्भ कर दिया
vaiśampāyana uvāca | evam uktaḥ sa bhagavān dāśārheṇārjunena ca taijasaṃ rūpam āsthāya dāvaṃ dagdhuṃ pracakrame |
Vaiśampāyana said: When thus addressed by Kṛṣṇa of the Dāśārha line and by Arjuna, the blessed Fire-god assumed a blazing, radiant form and began to burn the Khāṇḍava forest on every side. The episode frames a morally charged act—destruction undertaken with divine agency and heroic sanction—setting the stage for questions of duty, consequence, and the costs of power.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how immense acts—especially destructive ones—are often presented in the epic as proceeding under recognized authority (divine and heroic). It invites reflection on dharma: even when an action is empowered by gods and great warriors, its ethical weight lies in intention, sanction, and the far-reaching consequences for beings and the world.
After Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna speak to him, Agni assumes a radiant, fiery form and begins the conflagration of the Khāṇḍava forest from all sides, initiating the famous Khāṇḍava-dāha episode.