Shloka 38
नियोगप्रसङ्गः — The Niyoga Episode: Births of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and Vidura
उवाच च स धर्मात्मा शप्ता यूयं धरादय: । अनुसंवत्सरात् सर्वे शापमोक्षमवाप्स्थथ
uvāca ca sa dharmātmā śaptā yūyaṃ dharādayaḥ | anusaṃvatsarāt sarve śāpamokṣam avāpsyatha ||
Lalu resi yang berpegang pada dharma itu berkata: “Wahai para Vasu bermula dengan Dhara, benar, kamu telah dikutuk. Namun, tahun demi tahun, seorang demi seorang akan memperoleh pelepasan daripada kutukan ini, sehingga semuanya terbebas.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when a punishment (śāpa) is deserved, dharma can include a measured, compassionate limit: consequences are real, yet a path to release is also provided. The verse highlights proportional justice and eventual restoration.
Vasiṣṭha addresses the Vasus (named here as ‘Dhara and the others’), confirming that they are cursed, but assuring them that they will be freed from the curse in successive years—one by one—until all attain release.