Shloka 27
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 2 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry for His Kin and the Vision of a Punitive Realm
क्व च ते भ्रातरो महां तन्ममाख्यातुमर्हसि । देशो<यं कश्न देवानामेतदिच्छामि वेदितुम्,वहाँकी दुर्गन्धका अनुभव करके उन्होंने देवदूतसे पूछा--“भैया! ऐसे रास्तेपर अभी हमलोगोंको कितनी दूर और चलना है? तथा मेरे वे भाई कहाँ हैं? यह तुम्हें मुझे बता देना चाहिये। देवताओंका यह कौन-सा देश है, इस बातको मैं जानना चाहता हूँ”
kva ca te bhrātaro mahān tan mamākhyātum arhasi | deśo 'yaṁ kaś ca devānām etad icchāmi veditum |
Vaiśampāyana said: “And where are your brothers? You ought to tell me that. How much farther must we still go along this path? And what region of the gods is this? I wish to know.” (This is spoken in the context of the travelers’ distress at the foul stench on the way, prompting a direct inquiry about distance, the whereabouts of the brothers, and the nature of the divine realm.)
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical impulse to seek clarity and truth in moments of distress: the speaker insists on being told plainly where the companions are and what realm is being traversed, emphasizing accountability and truthful guidance on a morally charged journey.
During the ascent-journey narrative, after encountering an unpleasant, foul-smelling stretch of the path, the traveler questions the divine guide about how much farther they must go, where the brothers are, and what divine region this is.