Shloka 26
Adhyāya 31: Rājasūya-samāgama — The Gathering of Kings and the Ordering of Hospitality
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janamejaya uvāca kimarthaṁ bhagavān vahniḥ pratyamitraḥ ’bhavad yudhi | sahadevasya yajñārthaṁ ghaṭamānasya vai dvija ||
Vua Janamejaya hỏi: “Vì cớ gì Thần Lửa Agni, tuy là bậc thần thánh, lại trở thành kẻ đối địch trong trận chiến ấy? Hỡi Bà-la-môn, Sahadeva chỉ gắng sức vì việc tế lễ; vậy cớ sao Agni lại chống lại chàng nơi chiến địa?”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata concern: even actions undertaken for a righteous end (yajña) can meet resistance from divine or cosmic forces, prompting reflection on hidden causes, prior obligations, and the complexity of dharma beyond surface intentions.
Janamejaya asks the Brahmin narrator to explain an apparent contradiction: Sahadeva is engaged in efforts connected with a sacrifice, yet Agni (Fire), who is central to yajña, becomes his opponent in a battle. The question seeks the backstory and causal logic behind Agni’s hostility.