Shloka 17
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 181 — Svayaṃvara Aftermath: Arjuna–Karna Exchange and Bhīma–Śalya Contest
सोडग्नि: समभवद् दीप्तस्तं च देशं व्यदीपयत् । ततः सा शोकसंतप्ता भर्तृव्यसनकर्शिता
soḍagniḥ samabhavad dīptas taṃ ca deśaṃ vyadīpayat | tataḥ sā śokasaṃtaptā bhartṛvyasanakarśitā |
たちまち赫々たる火が起こり、その地一帯を照らし出した。ついで婆羅門の女は—悲嘆に灼かれ、夫に降りかかった災厄により衰え果て—深い憂いに呑まれて立ち尽くした。周辺の物語では、彼女の慟哭と無力な嘆願は王の心を動かさず、王は獣の衝動に駆られて夫を食らう。落ちた涙は炎となり、その道義の憤りから、王を残虐の報いへと縛りつける呪詛が生まれる。
गन्धर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage underscores that adharma—especially cruelty by one in power—produces consequences that spread beyond the immediate victim. The imagery of tears turning into fire conveys how grief and moral outrage can become a force of retribution: when restraint and compassion are abandoned, karma manifests as inevitable suffering and social disorder.
A brahmin woman, devastated by her husband’s death, is described as grief-stricken. A sudden, blazing fire arises and illuminates/burns the area. In the larger episode, the king Kalmāṣapāda, acting savagely, devours her husband; her tears become flames, and she pronounces a curse that determines the king’s fate and the continuation of his lineage through extraordinary means.