Shloka 16
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 2 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry for His Kin and the Vision of a Punitive Realm
अग्रतो देवदूतश्न ययौ राजा च पृष्ठतः । पन्थानमशुभं दुर्ग सेवितं पापकर्मभि:,आगे-आगे देवदूत जा रहा था और पीछे-पीछे राजा युधिष्छिर। दोनों ऐसे दुर्गम मार्गपर जा पहुँचे जो बहुत ही अशुभ था। पापाचारी मनुष्य ही यातना भोगनेके लिये उसपर आते- जाते थे
agrato devadūtaḥ yayau rājā ca pṛṣṭhataḥ | panthānam aśubhaṃ durgaṃ sevitaṃ pāpakarmabhiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The divine messenger went ahead, and the king followed behind. They came upon a harsh and difficult path, ominous in nature—one frequented by those of sinful deeds, who pass along it to undergo suffering.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores karmic moral order: certain paths and experiences correspond to one’s deeds. The ‘aśubha’ and ‘durga’ path symbolizes the difficult consequences that sinful actions lead to, contrasting with the king’s dharmic journey.
A divine messenger leads the way while King Yudhiṣṭhira follows. Together they reach a grim, arduous route—described as a path typically used by sinners who go there to suffer—signaling a transition into a testing or revelatory phase of the afterlife journey.