Shloka 10
Pāṇḍu’s Marriages, Conquests, and Triumphal Return (पाण्डोर्विवाह-विजय-प्रत्यागमनम्)
तमहं शापभीता च पितुर्भीता च भारत । वरैरसुलभैरुक्ता न प्रत्याख्यातुमुत्सहे
tam ahaṁ śāpabhītā ca pitur bhītā ca bhārata | varair asulabhair uktā na pratyākhyātum utsahe ||
“Wahai Bhārata, aku ketakutan—takut akan sumpahan sang resi dan juga takut akan ayahku. Ketika itu maharsi tersebut memujuk dan menguatkanku dengan anugerah yang jarang, sukar diperoleh, sehingga aku tidak berani menolak permintaannya.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear of authority (a father) and fear of spiritual consequence (a sage’s curse) can constrain personal agency; rare boons and social-religious pressure can make refusal feel impossible, raising ethical questions about consent and duty.
A woman recounts that she was caught between two fears—her father and a sage’s potential curse. The sage offered extraordinary boons and urged her, and under that pressure she felt unable to reject his request.