Shloka 44
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 2 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry for His Kin and the Vision of a Punitive Realm
य इमे पापगन्धेडस्मिन् देशे सन्ति सुदारुणे । नाहं जानामि सर्वेषां दुष्कृतं पुण्यकर्मणाम्
ya ime pāpagandhe 'smin deśe santi sudāruṇe | nāhaṃ jānāmi sarveṣāṃ duṣkṛtaṃ puṇyakarmaṇām ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Adapun mereka yang berada di wilayah yang berbau busuk dan amat mengerikan ini—aku tidak mengetahui apakah kejahatan yang boleh dikaitkan dengan mereka, para pelaku kebajikan. Aku tidak melihat dosa apa yang pernah dilakukan oleh orang-orang benar ini sehingga mereka harus tinggal di tempat sedemikian.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between outward merit and the hidden workings of karma: even those known for righteous deeds may appear to face suffering, prompting reflection on moral causality, divine justice, and the limits of human judgment.
In Svargārohaṇa, the narrator describes the shock at seeing virtuous figures associated with the Pāṇḍavas seemingly placed in a foul, terrifying region; the speaker expresses disbelief and ignorance about any sin that could justify such a condition.