Shloka 40
अश्रमवासिनां विषादः — Lament in Hastināpura after the Elders’ Forest Withdrawal
लोकानन्यान् समर्थो5सि स्रष्टं सर्वास्तपोबलात् | किमु लोकान्तरगतान् राज्ञो दर्शयितुं सुतान्
lokān anyān samartho 'si sraṣṭuṁ sarvās tapobalāt | kimu lokāntaragātān rājño darśayituṁ sutān ||
毗舍波耶那说道：“凭借你苦行的威力，你甚至能够创造别的世界。既如此，让国王——哪怕只一次——得见那些已往他界的儿子，对你又有何难？”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the traditional Mahābhārata idea that tapas (ascetic discipline) generates extraordinary spiritual potency; if one can accomplish cosmic-scale acts (like creating worlds), then offering compassionate relief to a grieving person—by granting a vision of departed loved ones—should be even more feasible. It frames spiritual power as something that can be directed toward consolation and humane purpose.
Vaiśampāyana, narrating events, points out that an ascetic endowed with great tapas is fully capable of showing the king his sons who have passed into another realm. The statement functions as a persuasive, rhetorical assurance: the requested reunion/vision is minor compared to the ascetic’s proven spiritual capacity.