Shloka 35
Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 104: Nārada on Suhṛt and Nirbandha; the Viśvāmitra–Gālava Exemplum Begins
विष्णुर्वायुश्च शक्रश्न धर्मस्तौ चाश्विनावुभौ । एते देवास्त्वया केन हेतुना वीक्षितुं क्षमा:,धर्मस्वरूप विष्णु, वायु, इन्द्र और वे दोनों अश्विनीकुमार--इतने देवता तुम्हारे विरुद्ध हैं। तुम किस कारणसे इन देवताओंकी ओर देखनेका भी साहस कर सकते हो?
viṣṇur vāyuś ca śakraś ca dharmas tau cāśvināv ubhau | ete devās tvayā kena hetunā vīkṣituṁ kṣamāḥ ||
Kaṇva berkata: “Viṣṇu—jelmaan dharma—Vāyu, Śakra (Indra), Dharma, dan kedua-dua Aśvin: para dewa inilah yang berdiri menentangmu. Atas alasan apakah engkau menyangka dirimu layak walau sekadar memandang ke arah mereka?”
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral legitimacy matters: when one’s conduct is opposed to dharma, even great power or boldness is portrayed as insufficient. The verse frames divine forces as aligned with righteousness, implying that ethical failure isolates a person from cosmic support.
Kaṇva rebukes an addressee by listing major deities—Viṣṇu, Vāyu, Indra, Dharma, and the Aśvins—as being against him, and challenges the person’s presumption in daring to face them. The tone is admonitory, emphasizing the gravity of standing against dharma-backed powers.