Shloka 19
खाण्डवदाहोत्तर-वरप्रदानम्
Boons after the Khāṇḍava Burning
ततो$क्षमात्रा व्यसूजन् धारा: शतसहसख्रश: । चोदिता देवराजेन जलदा: खाण्डवं प्रति,देवराज इन्द्रसे प्रेरित होकर मेघ रथके धुरेके समान मोटी-मोटी असंख्य धाराएँ खाण्डववनमें गिराने लगे
tato 'kṣamātrā vyasūjan dhārāḥ śata-sahasraśaḥ | coditā devarājena jaladāḥ khāṇḍavaṃ prati ||
Then, urged on by the king of the gods, the clouds poured forth countless streams—each as thick as an axle—sending torrents down upon the Khāṇḍava forest. In the narrative’s moral tension, divine power is shown intervening forcefully in a human conflict, attempting to obstruct the burning of the forest and protect its inhabitants, even as other divine forces support the opposite outcome.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how even divine forces enter into contest when larger destinies unfold: power is used to protect and to obstruct, and nature itself becomes an instrument of competing purposes. It invites reflection on dharma as complex—where protection of life, fulfillment of vows, and cosmic necessity can collide.
Indra, the lord of the gods, urges the clouds to unleash extremely thick, innumerable rain-streams upon the Khāṇḍava forest, attempting to counter what is happening there (the forest’s burning) by drenching it with torrential rainfall.