Shloka 34
Tapovana-praveśaḥ — The King’s Entry into the Sacred Grove and Vision of the Āśrama
ब्राह्मणान् क्षत्रियान् वैश्याउछूद्रांश्नैवाप्पपीडयन् । अन्यानि चैव सत्त्वानि पीडयामासुरोजसा,वे ब्राह्मणों, क्षत्रियों, वैश्यों तथा शूद्रोंकी भी सताया करते थे। अन्यान्य जीवोंको भी अपने बल और पराक्रमसे पीड़ा देते थे
brāhmaṇān kṣatriyān vaiśyāñ śūdrāṁś caiva āpīḍayan | anyāni caiva sattvāni pīḍayāmāsur ojasā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: They oppressed the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, and the śūdras as well; and with sheer force they tormented other living beings too. The passage underscores a collapse of righteous restraint—power being used not for protection but for harassment of all orders of society and even of creatures outside it.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights adharma: when the strong use ojas (power) to oppress rather than protect, society’s moral order collapses. It implicitly contrasts rightful kṣātra duty (protection) with tyranny (harassment of all, including innocents and animals).
Vaiśampāyana describes a group (contextually, oppressive figures in the episode) who harass all four social orders—brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras—and even other creatures, indicating widespread lawlessness and cruelty.