Mahabharata 3.299.71 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 299, Shloka 71
Ajñātavāsa-saṅkalpaḥ — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Resolve and Dhaumya’s Exempla on Concealment
त्वयोपगूढस्य च मे निद्रयापहतं मन: । ततो<पश्यं तमो घोर पुरुषं च महौजसम्
tvayopagūḍhasya ca me nidrayāpahataṃ manaḥ | tato 'paśyaṃ tamo ghoraṃ puruṣaṃ ca mahaujasam ||
「君が私を抱きしめたとき、心は眠りに奪われた。やがて恐るべき闇が現れ、さらに大いなる威光を放つ一人の御方を見た。」
यम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that encounters tied to dharma and the cosmic law of death can overwhelm ordinary consciousness, leading to a revelatory vision. It suggests that behind fear (darkness) stands a higher, powerful presence, reminding the listener that ethical order operates beyond immediate perception.
Yama describes being embraced, after which his mind is overtaken by sleep. In that altered state he experiences a terrifying darkness and then sees a great, powerful Person—indicating a sudden transition from normal awareness to a vision with divine or otherworldly significance.
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