Shloka 2
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 181 — Svayaṃvara Aftermath: Arjuna–Karna Exchange and Bhīma–Śalya Contest
जानता वै परं धर्म वसिष्ठेन महात्मना । अगम्यागमनं कस्मात् कृतं तेन महर्षिणा,तथा उत्तम धर्मके ज्ञाता महात्मा महर्षि वसिष्ठने यह परस्त्रीगमनका पाप कैसे किया?
jānatā vai paraṃ dharmaṃ vasiṣṭhena mahātmanā | agamyāgamanam kasmāt kṛtaṃ tena maharṣiṇā ||
អរជុនបាននិយាយថា៖ «មហាឥសី វសិષ્ઠ អ្នកមានព្រះហឫទ័យដ៏ធំ បានដឹងធម៌ដ៏ខ្ពង់ខ្ពស់។ ហេតុអ្វីបានជាមហាឥសីនោះ ធ្វើអំពើចូលទៅកាន់អ្វីដែលមិនគួរចូលទៅ—អំពើល្មើសផ្លូវភេទដ៏ខុសច្បាប់? តើអ្នកយល់ដឹងច្បាប់ដ៏លើសលប់ អាចធ្លាក់ចូលក្នុងបាបដូច្នោះបានដូចម្តេច?»
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse raises a classic dharma-question: even a knower of the highest moral law may appear to commit a grave transgression, prompting inquiry into context, intention, compulsion, and the complexity of ethical judgment in epic narrative.
Arjuna voices astonishment and doubt: since the sage Vasiṣṭha is renowned as a master of dharma, Arjuna asks why he performed an act described as ‘agamya-āgamanam’—approaching what is forbidden—framing the episode as a moral puzzle that demands explanation.