Shloka 16
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 2 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry for His Kin and the Vision of a Punitive Realm
अग्रतो देवदूतश्न ययौ राजा च पृष्ठतः । पन्थानमशुभं दुर्ग सेवितं पापकर्मभि:
agrato devadūtaḥ yayau rājā ca pṛṣṭhataḥ | panthānam aśubhaṃ durgaṃ sevitaṃ pāpakarmabhiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Utusan ilahi berjalan di hadapan, dan raja mengikut di belakang. Mereka sampai ke suatu jalan yang keras lagi sukar, bersifat malang—jalan yang sering dilalui oleh mereka yang berdosa untuk menanggung penderitaan.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores karmic moral order: certain paths and experiences correspond to one’s deeds. The ‘aśubha’ and ‘durga’ path symbolizes the difficult consequences that sinful actions lead to, contrasting with the king’s dharmic journey.
A divine messenger leads the way while King Yudhiṣṭhira follows. Together they reach a grim, arduous route—described as a path typically used by sinners who go there to suffer—signaling a transition into a testing or revelatory phase of the afterlife journey.