Shloka 24
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 2 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry for His Kin and the Vision of a Punitive Realm
करम्भवालुकास्तप्ता आयसीश्व शिला:पृथक् । लोहकुम्भी श्व॒ तैलस्य क्वाथ्यमाना: समन्ततः
karambha-vālukās taptā āyasīś ca śilāḥ pṛthak | loha-kumbhī ca tailasya kvāthyamānāḥ samantataḥ ||
ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: “ບາງແຫ່ງມີກອງຊາຍປົນກັບກະຣັມພະ (ອາຫານເຫຼວຂົນ) ຮ້ອນແຜດ; ບາງແຫ່ງມີແຜ່ນເຫຼັກໃຫຍ່ໆ ວາງແຍກໄວ້. ແລະຮອບດ້ານທັງໝົດ ນ້ຳມັນກຳລັງຖືກຕົ້ມໃຫ້ເດືອດໃນໝໍ້ເຫຼັກ.” ພາບນີ້ເຮັດໃຫ້ບັນຍາກາດແຫ່ງການລົງໂທດຍິ່ງເຂັ້ມຂຶ້ນ—ເສັ້ນທາງຂ້າງໜ້າເປັນພູມປະເທດແຫ່ງຄວາມຮ້ອນແລະທຸກທໍລະມານ, ຊຶ່ງປຸກໃຫ້ຄິດເຖິງຜົນຂອງອະທຳ ແລະກຳຊົ່ວທີ່ສະສົມ.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse reinforces the Mahābhārata’s ethical vision that actions bear consequences: adharma and moral failure culminate in suffering, portrayed through vivid punitive imagery. The narrative uses sensory detail (heat, iron, boiling oil) to make karmic retribution emotionally and morally tangible.
Vaiśampāyana describes a terrifying environment encountered on the way—scorching sand and gruel-like hot deposits, iron slabs, and iron cauldrons of boiling oil all around—setting the tone for a passage that depicts ordeal and the harsh landscape associated with posthumous judgment and suffering.