Shloka 5
स्वर्गे दुर्योधनदर्शनम् | Duryodhana Seen in Heaven
Triviṣṭapa
भ्राजमानमिवादित्यं वीरलक्ष्म्याभिसंवृतम् । देवैभ्राजिष्णुभि: साध्यै: सहितं पुण्यकर्मभि:
Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca: bhrājamānam ivādityaṃ vīralakṣmyābhisaṃvṛtam | devair bhrājiṣṇubhiḥ sādhyaiḥ sahitaṃ puṇyakarmabhiḥ ||
Dia bersinar bagaikan matahari, diselubungi kemuliaan seorang wira, bersama para dewa yang cemerlang dan para Sādhya yang beramal kebajikan.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the complexity of karmic fruition and dharma: heavenly reward can follow particular merits (such as valor and adherence to a warrior’s code), even when a person’s life also contains grave wrongdoing. It urges discernment about how justice, duty, and consequence operate across different moral registers.
After arriving in Svarga, Yudhiṣṭhira beholds Duryodhana enthroned in divine splendor, shining like the sun, accompanied by radiant gods and the Sādhyas. This unexpected sight sets up Yudhiṣṭhira’s ensuing questioning about fairness, merit, and the true nature of dharma.