Shloka 4
मधुकैटभवधोपाख्यानम्
The Account of the Slaying of Madhu and Kaiṭabha
श्रूयते हि महाभाग बको दाल्भ्यो महातपा: । प्रियः सखा च शक्रस्य चिरजीवी च सत्तम,महाभाग मुनिश्रेष्ठ दल्भके पुत्र महातपस्वी बक ऋषि चिरजीवी तथा देवराज इन्द्रके प्रिय मित्र सुने जाते हैं
śrūyate hi mahābhāga bako dālbhyo mahātapāḥ | priyaḥ sakhā ca śakrasya cirajīvī ca sattama ||
قال فايشَمبايانا: «أيها النبيل، يُروى في المأثور أن بَكَ دالبْهْيا ناسكٌ عظيم؛ رجلٌ فاضلٌ من خيار الناس، طويلُ العمر، وهو صديقٌ حبيبٌ لِشَكرا (إندرا).»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how moral and spiritual authority is established through recognized tradition: a sage known for austerity, excellence, and long life is presented as a trustworthy source or focal figure, and friendship with Indra signals divine regard for virtue.
Vaiśampāyana introduces the sage Baka Dālbhya, describing him as a great ascetic, exceptionally long-lived, and a beloved friend of Indra—setting the stage for a subsequent episode involving this revered figure.