Shloka 27
Ṛśyaśṛṅgopākhyāna-praveśaḥ — Lomāśa narrates the origins of Ṛśyaśṛṅga and the Anga drought (ऋश्यशृङ्गोपाख्यान-प्रवेशः)
युधिछिर उवाच ऋष्यश्ड्र: कथं मृग्यामुत्पन्न: काश्यपात्मज: । विरुद्धे योनिसंसगे कथं च तपसा युतः,युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--भगवन्! कश्यपनन्दन विभाण्डकके पुत्र ऋष्यशुंग मृगीके पेटसे कैसे उत्पन्न हुए? मनुष्यका पशुयोनिसे संसर्ग करना तो शास्त्र और व्यवहार दोनों ही दृष्टियोंसे विरुद्ध है। ऐसे विरुद्ध योनि-संसर्गसे उत्पन्न हुआ बालक तपस्वी कैसे हो सका? उस बुद्धिमान् बालकके भयसे बल और वृत्रासुरका विनाश करनेवाले देवराज इन्द्रने अनावृष्टिके समय वर्षा कैसे की?
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | ṛṣyaśṛṅgaḥ kathaṁ mṛgyām utpannaḥ kāśyapātmajaḥ | viruddhe yonisaṁsarge kathaṁ ca tapasā yutaḥ | tasya buddhimato bālād indro balavṛtrahā | anāvṛṣṭau kathaṁ vṛṣṭiṁ cakāra bhayapīḍitaḥ ||
Disse Yudhiṣṭhira: “Ó venerável ṛṣi, como nasceu Ṛṣyaśṛṅga—filho de Vibhāṇḍaka e descendente de Kaśyapa—do ventre de uma corça? Pois a união entre ventres tão incompatíveis é contrária tanto à śāstra quanto à conduta aceita. Como, então, uma criança nascida de tal transgressão pôde tornar-se dotada de poder ascético? E como Indra—matador de Bala e de Vṛtra—quando a seca prevalecia, fez cair a chuva, movido pelo temor daquele sábio menino?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic problem: even when an origin appears ethically and scripturally ‘incompatible’ (viruddha yonisaṁsarga), spiritual excellence (tapas) and its world-ordering effects can still manifest. It invites reflection on how dharma evaluates birth, conduct, and inner power, and how ascetic merit can compel even gods to restore cosmic balance (rain).
Yudhiṣṭhira questions the sage (in the surrounding dialogue) about the extraordinary account of Ṛṣyaśṛṅga’s birth from a doe, how he nevertheless became a powerful ascetic, and how Indra—despite being a mighty slayer of demons—was compelled by fear of the boy’s tapas to send rain during a drought.