Shloka 9
खाण्डवदाहोत्तर-वरप्रदानम्
Boons after the Khāṇḍava Burning
जलाशयेषु तप्तेषु क्वाथ्यमानेषु वह्विना । गतसत्त्वा: सम दृश्यन्ते कूर्ममत्स्या: समन््तत:,जलाशय आगसे तपकर काढ़ेकी भाँति खौल रहे थे। उनमें रहनेवाले कछुए और मछली आदि जीव सब ओर निर्जीव दिखायी देते थे
jalāśayeṣu tapteṣu kvāthyamāneṣu vahninā | gatasattvāḥ sama dṛśyante kūrmamatsyāḥ samantataḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: When the ponds and reservoirs had grown scorching hot and were boiling under the fire’s heat, the creatures dwelling in them—tortoises, fish, and the like—appeared lifeless everywhere. The scene underscores how unchecked destructive force consumes even the innocent and voiceless, turning habitats into death-traps and revealing the ethical cost of violence that spreads beyond its intended targets.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the collateral suffering caused by destructive forces: when fire rages, even harmless beings in their natural refuges perish. It implicitly urges restraint and compassion, reminding that adharma or uncontrolled violence harms the innocent and destabilizes the natural order.
Vaiśampāyana describes water-bodies so intensely heated by fire that they seem to boil; tortoises and fish within them appear lifeless everywhere, conveying the severity and all-pervading impact of the conflagration.