Shloka 3
Kubera’s Arrival and the Disclosure of Agastya’s Curse
Vaiśaṃpāyana–Janamejaya Narrative
जहार धर्मराजानं यमौ कृष्णां च राक्षस: | ब्राह्मणो मन्त्रकुशलः सर्वशास्त्रविदुत्तम:
jahāra dharmarājānaṃ yamau kṛṣṇāṃ ca rākṣasaḥ | brāhmaṇo mantrakuśalaḥ sarvaśāstraviduttamaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Seorang rākṣasa telah melarikan Dharmarāja, kedua-dua saudara kembar, dan Kṛṣṇā juga—(dengan menyamar sebagai) seorang brāhmaṇa yang mahir mantra, terunggul antara mereka yang mengetahui segala śāstra.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse cautions that adharma may masquerade as dharma: even a figure appearing as a learned brāhmaṇa, skilled in mantras and śāstras, can be a rākṣasa. Ethical vigilance requires judging conduct and intent, not merely external signs of piety or learning.
A rākṣasa abducts Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira), the twin brothers (Nakula and Sahadeva), and Draupadī (called Kṛṣṇā), presenting himself as a brāhmaṇa renowned for mantra-skill and śāstra-learning—setting up a crisis driven by deception and concealment.