Shloka 37
Gandhamādana-praveśa and the Sudden Storm (गन्धमादनप्रवेशः — चण्डवातवर्षवर्णनम्)
युधिष्ठिर! परम बुद्धिमान् देवदेव भगवान् श्रीहरिके यमराजका कार्य सँभालते समय किसी भी प्राणीकी मृत्यु नहीं होती थी; परंतु उत्पत्तिका कार्य पूर्ववत् चलता रहा ।। वर्धन्ते पक्षिसंघाश्व तथा पशुगवेडकम् | गवाश्चं च मृगाश्नचैव सर्वे ते पिशिताशना:,फिर तो पक्षियोंके समूह बढ़ने लगे। गाय, बैल, भेड़-बकरे आदि पशु, घोड़े, मृग तथा मांसाहारी जीव सभी बढ़ने लगे
Yudhiṣṭhira! parama-buddhimān devadeva bhagavān śrī-hariḥ—yamarājasya kāryaṁ sambhālate samaye kasyāpi prāṇino mṛtyur na bhavati sma; parantu utpattikā kāryaḥ pūrvavat pravavarta. Vardhante pakṣi-saṅghāś ca tathā paśu-gaveḍakam; gavāś ca vṛṣabhāś caiva mṛgāś caiva sarve te piśitāśanāḥ.
Lomaśa said: “O Yudhiṣṭhira, when the supremely wise Lord Hari—the God of gods—took charge of Yama’s office, no living being met with death; yet the work of generation continued as before. Then flocks of birds multiplied, and so did cattle and other domestic beasts—cows and bulls—as well as deer; indeed all creatures, including flesh-eaters, increased in number.”
लोगमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that death is not merely a calamity but a necessary function within cosmic order: if mortality ceases while birth continues, imbalance follows—unchecked multiplication of beings. Dharma includes maintaining balance through properly functioning roles (like Yama’s).
Lomaśa narrates an episode where Lord Hari temporarily manages Yama’s office; during that period no creature dies, yet births continue, causing rapid increase of birds, domestic animals, wild animals, and even carnivores—setting up the theme of cosmic imbalance when death is suspended.