Shloka 30
स्वर्गारोहणपर्व — तृतीयोऽध्यायः
Indra and Dharma’s Consolation; Celestial Gaṅgā Purification
एवं ब्रुवति देवेन्द्रे कौरवेन्द्रं युधिष्ठिरम् । धर्मो विग्रहवान् साक्षादुवाच सुतमात्मन:,देवराज इन्द्र जब इस प्रकार कह रहे थे, उसी समय शरीर धारण करके आये हुए साक्षात् धर्मने अपने पुत्र कौरवराज युधिष्ठिससे कहा--
evaṁ bruvati devendre kauravendraṁ yudhiṣṭhiram | dharmo vigrahavān sākṣād uvāca sutam ātmanaḥ ||
As Indra, the lord of the gods, was speaking in this manner to Yudhiṣṭhira, the sovereign of the Kurus, Dharma himself—manifest in bodily form—addressed his own son directly. The scene shifts from divine persuasion to the voice of righteousness incarnate, preparing a decisive moral clarification for Yudhiṣṭhira.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
That ultimate moral authority is Dharma itself: beyond persuasion, reward, or status, righteousness must be heard directly and followed. Yudhiṣṭhira’s ethical journey culminates in receiving guidance from Dharma incarnate, emphasizing integrity over mere divine inducement.
Indra is addressing Yudhiṣṭhira, but at that very moment Dharma appears in embodied form and speaks to his own son. The narration signals a turning point where Dharma personally intervenes to clarify the moral stakes of the situation.