Shloka 34
Adhyāya 3: Indra’s Invitation and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Refusal to Abandon the Dog
Svargārohaṇa Test
सिद्धि प्राप्तोडसि परमां यथा नान्य: पुमान् क्वचित् | नैव ते भ्रातर: स्थान सम्प्राप्ता: कुरुनन्दन
siddhiṁ prāpto ’si paramāṁ yathā nānyaḥ pumān kvacit | naiva te bhrātaraḥ sthānaṁ samprāptāḥ kurunandana ||
وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا—اے کُرونندَن! تم نے اعلیٰ ترین کمال و سِدھی پائی ہے—ایسی کہ کوئی دوسرا انسان کبھی کہیں نہیں پا سکا۔ مگر تمہارے بھائی اس درجے تک نہیں پہنچے۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethical hierarchy of outcomes: steadfast dharma culminates in a unique, unsurpassed spiritual consummation. Even among the virtuous, the fruits of conduct and inner steadfastness may differ, and the highest ‘siddhi’ is portrayed as exceptionally rare.
In the Mahāprasthānika episode describing the Pāṇḍavas’ final departure, Vaiśampāyana addresses Yudhiṣṭhira as ‘Kurunandana’ and declares that he alone has attained the supreme state, while his brothers did not reach the same station.