Shloka 45
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 2 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry for His Kin and the Vision of a Punitive Realm
कि कृत्वा धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रो राजा सुयोधन: । तथा श्रिया युत: पापै: सह सर्व: पदानुगै:
kiṁ kṛtvā dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putro rājā suyodhanaḥ | tathā śriyā yutaḥ pāpaiḥ saha sarvaḥ padānugaiḥ ||
毗舍婆耶那说：“持国之子苏约陀那王究竟行了何等功德，竟能与他那一切罪恶的随从侍从一道，享有如此非凡的荣华与富贵？”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral inquiry central to the Mahābhārata’s karma-ethics: even those known for wrongdoing may attain heavenly splendor if some powerful merit (puṇya) exists, and the narrative invites reflection on how specific deeds yield specific results, sometimes producing outcomes that appear paradoxical.
Vaiśaṃpāyana raises a question about Duryodhana’s posthumous state—how he is seen endowed with remarkable prosperity and radiance, and notably along with his attendants—prompting an explanation of what meritorious act(s) could account for this result.