Shloka 56
धृतराष्ट्र–संजय संवादः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Sañjaya on Arjuna’s Indraloka report and the political consequences
चित्रसेनने भी सारी घटना देवराज इन्द्रसे निवेदन की। तब इन्द्रने अपने पुत्र अर्जुनको बुलाकर एकान्तमें कल्याणमय वचनोंद्वारा सान्त्वना देते हुए मुसकराकर उनसे कहा --“तात! तुम सत्पुरुषोंके शिरोमणि हो, तुम-जैसे पुत्रको पाकर कुन्ती वास्तवमें श्रेष्ठ पुत्रवाली है' ।। ऋषयो<पि हि धैर्येण जिता वै ते महाभुज । यत् तु दत्तवती शापमुर्वशी तव मानद,“महाबाहो! तुमने अपने धैर्य (इन्द्रियसंयम)-के द्वारा ऋषियोंको भी पराजित कर दिया है। मानद! उर्वशीने जो तुम्हें शाप दिया है, वह तुम्हारे अभीष्ट अर्थका साधक होगा। अनघ! तुम्हें भूतलपर तेरहवें वर्षमें अज्ञातवास करना है। वीर! उर्वशीके दिये हुए शापको तुम उसी वर्षमें पूर्ण कर दोगे”
vaiśampāyana uvāca | citrasenena bhīṣā sāri ghaṭanā devarāja indrāya niveditā | tata indraḥ svaputram arjunaṃ āhūyaikānte kalyāṇamaiḥ vacanaiḥ sāntvayitvā smayamāna uvāca— “tāta! tvaṃ satpuruṣāṇāṃ śiromaṇiḥ; tvādṛśaṃ putraṃ prāpya kuntī satyam eva śreṣṭha-putravatī | ṛṣayo ’pi hi dhairyena jitā vai te mahābhuja; yat tu dattavatī śāpam urvaśī tava mānada, sa te ’bhīṣṭārtha-sādhakaḥ bhaviṣyati | anagha! trayodaśe varṣe bhūtale tvayā ajñātavāsaḥ kartavyaḥ; vīra! urvaśyā dattam idaṃ śāpaṃ tvaṃ tasminn eva varṣe paripūrayiṣyasi” ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Chitrasena reported the entire affair to Indra, lord of the gods. Indra then summoned his son Arjuna and, in private, consoled him with auspicious words. Smiling, he said: “My son, you are the crown-jewel among the virtuous; Kuntī is truly blessed with an excellent son in you. Mighty-armed one, by your steadfast self-control you have surpassed even the sages. And the curse that Urvaśī has laid upon you, O honorable one, will in fact accomplish what you desire. Blameless hero, you must live incognito on earth in the thirteenth year; in that very year you will fulfill the curse given by Urvaśī.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Steadfast self-control (dhairya/indriya-saṃyama) is praised as a heroic virtue equal to or greater than ascetic power; even an apparent misfortune (a curse) can become a means to fulfill dharma when understood within a larger moral and providential framework.
After Chitrasena informs Indra about the incident involving Urvaśī and Arjuna, Indra privately reassures Arjuna, praises his restraint, and explains that Urvaśī’s curse will actually help Arjuna during the Pāṇḍavas’ required thirteenth year of incognito exile, when the curse’s condition will be completed.