Mahabharata 3.37.53 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 37, Shloka 53
Vyāsa’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira: Pratismṛti-vidyā, Arjuna’s Aśtra-Quest, and the Move to Kāmyaka
कामान् वृणीष्य लोकांस्त्व॑ प्राप्तोडसि परमां गतिम् । एवमुक्त: प्रत्युवाच सहस्राक्षं धनंजय:,तब महेन्द्रने प्रसन्नचित्त हो हँसते हुए-से कहा--“धनंजय! जब तुम यहाँतक आ पहुँचे, तब तुम्हें अस्त्रोंको लेकर क्या करना है? अब इच्छानुसार उत्तम लोक माँग लो; क्योंकि तुम्हें उत्तम गति प्राप्त हुई है।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca | kāmān vṛṇīṣva lokāṁs tvam prāpto 'si paramāṁ gatim | evam uktaḥ pratyuvāca sahasrākṣaṁ dhanaṁjayaḥ ||
ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: “ຈົ່ງເລືອກຄວາມປາຖະໜາແລະໂລກທີ່ເຈົ້າປາຖະໜາ—ເພາະເຈົ້າໄດ້ບັນລຸທາງສູງສຸດແລ້ວ.” ເມື່ອຖືກກ່າວດັ່ງນັ້ນ ທະນັນຊະຍະ ຈຶ່ງທູນຕອບຕໍ່ ຜູ້ມີພັນຕາ (ອິນທຣະ) ວ່າ: “ໂອ ຈອມເທວະ, ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າປະລະພີ່ນ້ອງໄວ້ໃນປ່າ; ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າບໍ່ປາຖະໜາຄວາມເປັນເທວະ, ບໍ່ປາຖະໜາຄວາມສຸກ, ແມ່ນແຕ່ອຳນາດເຫນືອເທວະທັງປວງກໍບໍ່ປາຖະໜາ ຖ້າຕ້ອງຍອມຈຳນົນຕໍ່ຄວາມໂລບ ຫຼື ກາມ ໂດຍບໍ່ທັນຊຳລະຄວາມອາຄາດຂອງສັດຕູ. ຖ້າຂ້າພະເຈົ້າເຮັດເຊັ່ນນັ້ນ ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຈະໄດ້ຮັບຄວາມອັບອາຍອັນໃຫຍ່ ແລະຍືນຍາວ ໃນທຸກໂລກ.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
True attainment is not merely access to heavenly rewards; a kṣatriya’s dharma prioritizes integrity, self-mastery, and the fulfillment of rightful duty. Arjuna rejects pleasure and even divine sovereignty if it would mean abandoning justice and earning lasting disgrace.
Indra invites Arjuna to choose any desired worlds, implying he has reached a supreme state. Arjuna responds that he will not accept such rewards while his brothers remain in hardship and the wrong done by enemies remains unredressed; he fears moral failure and enduring ill-fame.
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