Shloka 926
धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)
कुशस्थलीं नयिष्यामि हत्वा वै दानवोत्तमम् | वहाँ रहकर देवमाता अदितिका अप्रिय करनेवाले भूमिपुत्र नरकासुर
kuśasthalīṁ nayiṣyāmi hatvā vai dānavottamam | tatra sthitvā devamātā-aditikā apriya-karaṁ bhūmiputraṁ narakāsuraṁ muraṁ tathā pīṭha-nāmakaṁ dānavaṁ ca saṁhariṣyāmi | nānā-vidha-dhana-dhānya-sampannaṁ yat prāgjyotiṣa-pura-nāmakaṁ ramaṇīyaṁ nagaraṁ tatra dānavarājaṁ narakaṁ hatvā tasya sarvaṁ vaibhavaṁ kuśasthalīṁ prāpayiṣyāmi ||
दानवांतील श्रेष्ठाचा वध करून (त्याचे वैभव) मी कुशस्थलीत आणीन. तेथे राहून देवमाता अदितीला अप्रिय करणारा भूमिपुत्र नरकासुर, मुर आणि पीठ नावाचा दानव यांचा संहार करीन. पुढे नाना प्रकारच्या धन-धान्याने समृद्ध अशा रमणीय प्राग्ज्योतिषपुरात दानवराज नरकाचा वध करून त्याचे सर्व वैभव कुशस्थलीत आणून ठेवीन.
(भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames violent action as legitimate only when aligned with restoring cosmic and moral order: the slaying of oppressive, anti-divine forces (those who harm Aditi and disrupt dharma) is presented as a duty-bound act, coupled with the ethical idea that ill-gotten power and wealth can be reclaimed from adharma and redirected to rightful rule.
The speaker declares an intention to march to Kushasthali after defeating a foremost Dānava, then to destroy Narakāsura and his allies (Mura and Pīṭha). He further describes Prāgjyotiṣapura as a prosperous city under Naraka’s control and vows to kill Naraka there and transport his accumulated splendor and riches to Kushasthali.