Mahabharata 3.39.20 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 39, Shloka 20
Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas
Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva
मयाभिपन्नः पूर्व हि राक्षमो5यमिहागत: । कामात् परिभवाद् वापि न मे जीवन् विमोक्ष्यसे
vaiśampāyana uvāca | mayābhipannaḥ pūrva hi rākṣaso ’yam ihāgataḥ | kāmāt paribhavād vāpi na me jīvan vimokṣyase ||
വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു— “ഈ രാക്ഷസൻ മുമ്പേ ഇവിടെ എന്റെ അടുക്കൽ വന്നിരുന്നു; ഞാൻ അവനെ അന്നേ കീഴടക്കിയിരുന്നു. നീ ഈ വരാഹത്തെ ആഗ്രഹം കൊണ്ടോ, എന്നെ അപമാനിക്കാനോ കൊന്നതായാലും—എന്തായാലും ഞാൻ നിന്നെ ജീവനോടെ വിട്ടയക്കില്ല.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how actions driven by desire (kāma) or contempt (paribhava) provoke escalation and retaliation; it frames conflict as rooted in motive and honor, warning that impulsive or insulting conduct can lead to severe consequences.
A speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) asserts that the rākṣasa had already been subdued earlier, and accuses the other party of killing the boar either out of desire or to insult him; he then vows not to spare the person’s life.
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