Shloka 12
Ānṛśaṃsya–Bhakti: Śukaḥ Śakreṇa Parīkṣitaḥ
Compassion and Devotion—The Parrot Tested by Indra
ततो ब्राह्मणवेषेण मानुषं रूपमास्थित: । अवतीर्य महीं शक्रस्तं पक्षिणमुवाच ह,तदनन्तर वे ब्राह्मणके वेशमें मनुष्यका रूप धारण करके पृथ्वीपर उतरे और उस शुक पक्षीसे बोले--
tato brāhmaṇaveṣeṇa mānuṣaṃ rūpam āsthitaḥ | avatīrya mahīṃ śakras taṃ pakṣiṇam uvāca ha ||
Dann stieg Śakra (Indra), in menschlicher Gestalt und als Brāhmaṇa verkleidet, zur Erde herab und wandte sich an jenen Vogel — und setzte damit eine Prüfung in Gang, die das wahre Maß von Verhalten und Dharma offenbaren sollte.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is often examined through tests of conduct: the divine may appear in ordinary or deceptive forms to reveal whether one’s actions align with righteousness rather than mere appearance or status.
Bhīṣma narrates that Indra (Śakra) comes down to earth in the disguise of a brāhmaṇa, taking a human form, and begins speaking to a bird—initiating a moral or dharmic inquiry.