Shloka 11
Ārṣṭiṣeṇa’s Siddhi and the Tīrtha-Boons; Sindhudvīpa–Devāpi Brāhmaṇya; Viśvāmitra’s Tapas Begins
क्षुरेण शितधारेण उत्पपात महावने । महोदरस्य तल्लग्नं जंघायां वै यदृच्छया
kṣureṇa śitadhāreṇa utpapāta mahāvane | mahodarasya tallagnaṃ jaṅghāyāṃ vai yadṛcchayā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: In that great forest, a razor with a keen, sharp edge suddenly sprang up; by sheer chance it became lodged in Mahodara’s shin. The episode underscores how, amid violence and disorder, harm can arise unexpectedly and without intention—reminding one of the precariousness of life and the moral weight of actions that unleash chaos.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the role of contingency (yadṛcchā) in human suffering: once violence and disorder are set in motion, injury can occur unpredictably, reminding readers of life’s fragility and the ethical responsibility to restrain harmful conditions that breed unintended consequences.
In a great forest setting, a sharp razor suddenly springs up and, by chance, becomes embedded in Mahodara’s shin, describing an abrupt and accidental injury within the unfolding events narrated by Vaiśampāyana.