Suvarṇa-dāna: Kārttikeya’s Origin and the Defeat of Tāraka (सुवर्णदान-प्रसङ्गे कार्त्तिकेय-उत्पत्ति तथा तारकवधः)
ब्रह्मोवाच तामेवं ब्रुवतीं देवीं सुरभिं त्रिदशेश्वर । प्रत्यब्रुवं यद् देवेन्द्र तच्निबोध शचीपते
brahmovāca tāmevaṁ bruvatīṁ devīṁ surabhiṁ tridaśeśvara | pratyabruvaṁ yad deveindra tac nibodha śacīpate ||
Brahmā sprach: „O Herr der dreiunddreißig Götter! O Devendra, Gemahl der Śacī! Als die Göttin Surabhī so sprach, erwiderte ich ihr. Höre diese Erwiderung.“
भीष्म उवाच
The verse frames ethical instruction through a divine dialogue: before judgment or action, one should listen carefully to counsel and understand the reasoning offered by an authoritative, dharma-grounded speaker.
Surabhī has spoken to Indra; Brahmā intervenes and announces that he is about to recount the reply he gave to Surabhī, addressing Indra with honorific epithets and urging him to listen attentively.