Shloka 10
मुद्गलोपाख्यानम् — व्रीहिद्रोणदानं, दुर्वाससः परीक्षा, स्वर्गगुणप्रश्नः
Mudgala Episode: Rice-measure Charity, Durvāsas’ Test, Inquiry on Heaven
ते वध्यमाना गन्धर्वा दिव्यैरस्त्रैर्महारथै: । उत्पेतु: खमुपादाय धृतराष्ट्रसुतांस्तत:,महारथी पाण्डवोंके चलाये दिव्यास्त्रोंकी मार खाकर गन्धर्व धृतराष्ट्रके पुत्रोंको लिये- दिये आकाशमें उड़ गये
te vadhyamānā gandharvā divyair astrair mahārathaiḥ | utpetuḥ kham upādāya dhṛtarāṣṭrasutāṁs tataḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Struck down by the celestial weapons of the great chariot-warriors, the Gandharvas rose up into the sky, carrying away the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. The episode underscores how arrogance and unrighteous conduct can lead to sudden humiliation, while prowess without restraint becomes a force that exposes moral failure.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and status do not protect one who acts from pride and adharma; when ethical restraint is absent, defeat and disgrace can come swiftly, serving as a corrective lesson in humility and right conduct.
In the Gandharva encounter, the Gandharvas—pressed hard by the divine weapons of great warriors—take to the sky and carry off Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons, marking a dramatic reversal in which the Kauravas are overpowered and removed from the battlefield.