Shloka 45
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 2 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry for His Kin and the Vision of a Punitive Realm
कि कृत्वा धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रो राजा सुयोधन: । तथा श्रिया युत: पापै: सह सर्व: पदानुगै:
kiṁ kṛtvā dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putro rājā suyodhanaḥ | tathā śriyā yutaḥ pāpaiḥ saha sarvaḥ padānugaiḥ ||
Disse Vaiśampāyana: «Que ato meritório realizou o rei Suyodhana, filho de Dhṛtarāṣṭra, para ficar dotado de tamanho esplendor e prosperidade—junto com todos os seus seguidores e servidores pecaminosos?»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral inquiry central to the Mahābhārata’s karma-ethics: even those known for wrongdoing may attain heavenly splendor if some powerful merit (puṇya) exists, and the narrative invites reflection on how specific deeds yield specific results, sometimes producing outcomes that appear paradoxical.
Vaiśaṃpāyana raises a question about Duryodhana’s posthumous state—how he is seen endowed with remarkable prosperity and radiance, and notably along with his attendants—prompting an explanation of what meritorious act(s) could account for this result.