Shloka 9
Vyāsa’s Counsel to the Concealed Pāṇḍavas; Śaṃkara’s Boon and the Predestination of Draupadī
Chapter 157
अथार्तिजं महाशब्दं ब्राह्मणस्य निवेशने । भृशमुत्पतितं घोर कुन्ती शुश्राव भारत,भारत! उस दिन ब्राह्मणके घरमें सहसा बड़े जोरका भयानक आर्तनाद होने लगा, जिसे कुन्तीने सुना
athārtijaṃ mahāśabdaṃ brāhmaṇasya niveśane | bhṛśamutpatitaṃ ghoraṃ kuntī śuśrāva bhārata ||
Then, O Bhārata, Kuntī heard a great and dreadful cry of distress that suddenly arose with force within the Brahmin’s dwelling—an ominous sound that signals imminent danger and calls forth the duty to respond with compassion and courage.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A sudden cry of suffering is presented as a moral summons: dharma requires attentiveness to others’ distress and readiness to act—especially when one is a guest under another’s roof and the vulnerable are threatened.
While staying at a Brahmin’s residence, Kuntī hears a loud, terrifying outcry arising within the house. The verse marks the onset of a crisis in the household that will prompt inquiry and decisive action.