Shloka 45
Vṛtra’s Cosmic Threat, Viṣṇu’s Upāya, and the Conditional Vulnerability
Udyoga-parva 10
सोअन्तमाश्रित्य लोकानां नष्ट्संज्ञो विचेतन: । न प्राज्ञायत देवेन्द्रस्त्वभि भूत: स्वकल्मषै:
so 'ntam āśritya lokānāṃ naṣṭasaṃjño vicetanaḥ | na prājñāyata devendras tv abhibhūtaḥ svakalmāṣaiḥ ||
Am äußersten Rand der Welten suchte er Zuflucht und blieb dort besinnungslos und ohne Bewusstsein. Von den Makeln seiner eigenen Verfehlungen überwältigt, blieb selbst Indra, der Herr der Götter, dort unerkannt.
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the highest status cannot shield one from the moral consequences of one’s own actions; wrongdoing (kalmāṣa) can eclipse fame and power, leading to loss of clarity and recognition.
Śalya describes a state where Indra, afflicted by his own moral taint, withdraws to the world’s boundary and becomes senseless; in that condition he is not recognized by anyone, emphasizing a dramatic fall from divine prominence.