Shloka 29
Vasiṣṭhāpavāha: Sarasvatī’s Diversion and Viśvāmitra’s Curse (वसिष्ठापवाहः)
राजन्! फिर महामनस्वी धर्मात्मा धृतराष्ट्र भी स्वस्थचित्त हो अपने समृद्धिशाली नगरको ही लौट आये ।। तत्र तीर्थे महाराज बृहस्पतिरुदारधी: । असुराणामभावाय भवाय च दिवौकसाम्,महाराज! उसी तीर्थमें उदारबुद्धि बृहस्पतिजीने असुरोंके विनाश और देवताओंकी उन्नतिके लिये मांसोंद्वारा आभिचारिक यज्ञका अनुष्ठान किया था। इससे वे असुर क्षीण हो गये और युद्धमें विजयसे सुशोभित होनेवाले देवताओंने उन्हें मार भगाया
rājan! punaḥ mahāmanasvī dharmātmā dhṛtarāṣṭro hi svasthacitto 'sau samṛddhiśālinaṃ nagaram eva pratyāgacchat. tatra tīrthe mahārāja bṛhaspatir udāradhīḥ asurāṇām abhāvāya bhavāya ca divaukasām māṃsair ābhicārika-yajñasya anuṣṭhānaṃ cakāra. tataḥ te 'surāḥ kṣīṇā babhūvuḥ, yuddhe ca vijayaśobhitā devāḥ tān hatvā prādrāvayan.
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Wahai Raja, Dhṛtarāṣṭra yang berhati luhur dan berpegang pada dharma, setelah fikirannya kembali tenang, pulang semula ke kotanya yang makmur. Di tempat penyeberangan suci itu, wahai maharaja, Bṛhaspati yang berakal mulia pernah melaksanakan korban ābhicārika—suatu upacara penundukan dengan persembahan daging—demi membinasakan para Asura dan memakmurkan para dewa. Dengan perbuatan itu para Asura menjadi lemah, lalu para dewa yang bersinar oleh kemenangan perang menewaskan mereka dan menghalaunya pergi.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage juxtaposes inner composure and righteous identity (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as dharmātmā, svasthacitta) with the morally complex power of ritual action: even sacred rites can be directed toward harm (ābhicārika), raising ethical reflection on means and ends—prosperity and protection of the gods are sought, yet through destructive intent.
Vaiśaṃpāyana reports that Dhṛtarāṣṭra, now mentally settled, returns to his prosperous city. The narration then recalls an earlier event at that same tīrtha where Bṛhaspati performed an ābhicārika sacrifice using flesh to weaken the Asuras, after which the victorious gods defeated and drove them away.