Shloka 29
अग्निवर्णो ज्वलन् धीमान् स द्विजो रथधुर्यवत् । प्रतोदेनातुदद् बालां रुक्मिणीं मम पश्यत:
agnivarṇo jvalan dhīmān sa dvijo rathadhuryavat | pratodenātudad bālāṃ rukmiṇīṃ mama paśyataḥ ||
Vāyu sprach: „Jener Brahmane—von feuriger Farbe, lodernd und scharfsinnig—begann vor meinen eigenen Augen, die unschuldige Rukmiṇī mit einer Peitsche zu schlagen, wie man die an den Wagen angespannten Pferde peitscht.“
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that spiritual brilliance and social-religious status (dvija, dhīmān) do not excuse harshness. Dharma requires restraint and compassion; power—especially ascetic or moral authority—must not be used to harm the innocent.
Vāyu narrates a scene he witnesses: a fiery, intelligent brahmin begins lashing the innocent Rukmiṇī with a whip, likening the act to whipping chariot-horses. The comparison intensifies the sense of dehumanizing cruelty and sets up an ethical critique of such conduct.