Shloka 5
स्वर्गे दुर्योधनदर्शनम् | Duryodhana Seen in Heaven
Triviṣṭapa
भ्राजमानमिवादित्यं वीरलक्ष्म्याभिसंवृतम् । देवैभ्राजिष्णुभि: साध्यै: सहितं पुण्यकर्मभि:,स्वर्गलोकमें पहुँचकर धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरने देखा कि दुर्योधन स्वर्गीय शोभासे सम्पन्न हो तेजस्वी देवताओं तथा पुण्यकर्मा साध्यगणोंके साथ एक दिव्य सिंहासनपर बैठकर वीरोचित शोभासे संयुक्त हो सूर्यके समान देदीप्यमान हो रहा है
Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca: bhrājamānam ivādityaṃ vīralakṣmyābhisaṃvṛtam | devair bhrājiṣṇubhiḥ sādhyaiḥ sahitaṃ puṇyakarmabhiḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having reached the world of heaven, Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira saw Duryodhana seated upon a divine throne—surrounded by the splendor proper to heroes—shining like the sun, in the company of radiant gods and the Sādhyas, beings of meritorious deeds. The scene confronts Yudhiṣṭhira with a moral paradox: even one who caused immense harm in war may, by the force of specific merits and the kṣatriya code of battle, attain a heavenly station, challenging simplistic notions of reward and justice.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the complexity of karmic fruition and dharma: heavenly reward can follow particular merits (such as valor and adherence to a warrior’s code), even when a person’s life also contains grave wrongdoing. It urges discernment about how justice, duty, and consequence operate across different moral registers.
After arriving in Svarga, Yudhiṣṭhira beholds Duryodhana enthroned in divine splendor, shining like the sun, accompanied by radiant gods and the Sādhyas. This unexpected sight sets up Yudhiṣṭhira’s ensuing questioning about fairness, merit, and the true nature of dharma.