Shloka 39
अपृच्छच्चैव राजेन्द्र लोमशं पाण्डुनन्दन: । भगवन् किमर्थ रामस्य हृतमासीद् वपु: प्रभो | कथं प्रत्याहृतं चैव एतदाचक्ष्व पृच्छत:,राजेन्द्र! उस समय पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिरने महर्षि लोमशसे पूछा--“भगवन्! परशुरामजीके तेजका अपहरण किसलिये किया गया था और प्रभो! वह इन्हें पुन: किस प्रकार प्राप्त हो गया? यह मैं जानना चाहता हूँ। आप कृपा करके इस प्रसंगका वर्णन करें!
apṛcchac caiva rājendra lomaśaṃ pāṇḍunandanaḥ | bhagavan kimarthaṃ rāmasya hṛtam āsīd vapuḥ prabho | kathaṃ pratyāhṛtaṃ caiva etad ācakṣva pṛcchataḥ |
Vaiśampāyana said: “O king, the son of Pāṇḍu (Yudhiṣṭhira) questioned the sage Lomaśa: ‘Revered sir, for what reason was Rāma’s (Paraśurāma’s) bodily splendor/energy taken away? And, O lord, how was it regained? Please explain this to me, for I ask to know this episode.’”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic method of learning: respectful inquiry to a qualified sage about the causes behind loss and restoration of spiritual power (tejas), implying that splendor and strength are ethically conditioned and not merely physical.
Within Vaiśampāyana’s narration, Yudhiṣṭhira asks the sage Lomaśa to recount why Paraśurāma’s radiance/energy was taken and how it was later recovered, requesting the full account of that episode.