स्वर्गारोहणपर्व — तृतीयोऽध्यायः
Indra and Dharma’s Consolation; Celestial Gaṅgā Purification
एवं ब्रुवति देवेन्द्रे कौरवेन्द्रं युधिष्ठिरम् । धर्मो विग्रहवान् साक्षादुवाच सुतमात्मन:
evaṁ bruvati devendre kauravendraṁ yudhiṣṭhiram | dharmo vigrahavān sākṣād uvāca sutam ātmanaḥ ||
దేవేంద్రుడు కౌరవేంద్రుడైన యుధిష్ఠిరునితో ఈ విధంగా పలుకుచుండగా, సాక్షాత్తు ధర్ముడు దేహధారిగా ప్రత్యక్షమై తన కుమారునితో మాటలాడెను.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
That ultimate moral authority is Dharma itself: beyond persuasion, reward, or status, righteousness must be heard directly and followed. Yudhiṣṭhira’s ethical journey culminates in receiving guidance from Dharma incarnate, emphasizing integrity over mere divine inducement.
Indra is addressing Yudhiṣṭhira, but at that very moment Dharma appears in embodied form and speaks to his own son. The narration signals a turning point where Dharma personally intervenes to clarify the moral stakes of the situation.