Shloka 2
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
देवतानामृषीणां च पितृणां च महात्मनाम् । यक्षरक्ष:पिशाचानां साध्यानां च विशेषत:
devatānām ṛṣīṇāṁ ca pitṝṇāṁ ca mahātmanām | yakṣarakṣaḥpiśācānāṁ sādhyānāṁ ca viśeṣataḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “(Aku ingin mengetahui) khususnya tentang golongan-golongan ilahi—para dewa dan para ṛṣi, para leluhur (pitṛ) yang berjiwa agung, serta juga tentang yakṣa, rākṣasa, piśāca, dan para dewa Sādhya.”
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an inquiry into the moral and cosmic order by naming multiple classes of beings—gods, sages, ancestors, and other non-human entities—implying that dharma and its fruits are understood within a wider spiritual ecology that includes revered and feared orders alike.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira is asking for clarification about various categories of beings—especially the Sādhyas along with gods, ṛṣis, Pitṛs, yakṣas, rākṣasas, and piśācas—setting up a broader explanation of their nature, status, and relevance to conduct and ritual.