Shloka 1
सूर्यानुगमनवृत्तान्तः
The Account of Following the Sun
ततस्तद्दारुणं कर्म दुष्करं सहसात्कृतम्।आचचक्षे मुनेस्सर्वं सूर्यानुगमनं तथा।।।।
tatas tad dāruṇaṃ karma duṣkaraṃ sahasāt kṛtam | ācacakṣe muneḥ sarvaṃ sūryānugamanaṃ tathā || 4.61.1 ||
Daraufhin berichtete ich dem Weisen alles: wie jene grausame und schwer zu vollbringende Tat unbedacht und plötzlich getan wurde, und ebenso, wie ich dem Lauf der Sonne nachging.
'Then I revealed everything to the sage,including the arrogant, impetuous action of rashly following the Sun (for challenging Indra).
FAQs
Dharma encourages truthful confession and learning from error: Sampāti admits rashness (‘sahasāt’) and reports the deed honestly to a moral authority (the sage).
In his backstory, Sampāti explains that he disclosed to sage Niśākara the reckless act connected with pursuing the Sun—setting up the explanation for his ruined condition.
Accountability—owning one’s impulsive actions and seeking understanding through truthful disclosure.