Shloka 17
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 181 — Svayaṃvara Aftermath: Arjuna–Karna Exchange and Bhīma–Śalya Contest
सोडग्नि: समभवद् दीप्तस्तं च देशं व्यदीपयत् । ततः सा शोकसंतप्ता भर्तृव्यसनकर्शिता
soḍagniḥ samabhavad dīptas taṃ ca deśaṃ vyadīpayat | tataḥ sā śokasaṃtaptā bhartṛvyasanakarśitā |
忽有炽焰骤起，照彻其地。其后，那婆罗门女子——为哀痛所灼，又因夫遭横祸而形神俱疲——立于悲恸之中，几近崩溃。就周遭叙事而言，她的哀号与无助的哀求并未动摇国王；国王为野性冲动所驱，竟吞食其夫。她落地之泪化作火焰，而由此道义之愤激，遂生出束缚国王、令其自食残暴之果的诅咒。
गन्धर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage underscores that adharma—especially cruelty by one in power—produces consequences that spread beyond the immediate victim. The imagery of tears turning into fire conveys how grief and moral outrage can become a force of retribution: when restraint and compassion are abandoned, karma manifests as inevitable suffering and social disorder.
A brahmin woman, devastated by her husband’s death, is described as grief-stricken. A sudden, blazing fire arises and illuminates/burns the area. In the larger episode, the king Kalmāṣapāda, acting savagely, devours her husband; her tears become flames, and she pronounces a curse that determines the king’s fate and the continuation of his lineage through extraordinary means.