Shloka 31

अध्याय २८१ — दानधर्मः, न्यायागतधनम्, ऋणत्रय-परिशोधनं च

Dāna ethics, lawful wealth, and settling obligations

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच बहुधा विभजिष्यामि ब्रह्म॒वध्यामिमामहम्‌ । शक्रस्थाघविमोक्षार्थ चतुर्भागं प्रतीच्छ वै,ब्रह्माजीने कहा--अग्निदेव! मैं इन्द्रको पापमुक्त करनेके लिये इस ब्रह्महत्याके कई भाग करूँगा। इसका एक चतुर्थाश तुम भी ग्रहण कर लो

Transliteration

brahmovāca bahudhā vibhajiṣyāmi brahma-vadhyām imām aham | śakrasya agha-vimokṣārthaṁ caturbhāgaṁ pratīccha vai ||

Translation

Brahmā said: “I shall divide this sin of brahma-slaying into many portions. For the sake of freeing Indra from his guilt, you too must accept one fourth share of it.”

Word by Word

ब्रह्माBrahmā

उवाचsaid

बहुधाin many ways / into many parts

विभजिष्यामिI shall divide

ब्रह्मवध्याthe sin of brahma-slaying (brahmahatyā)

इमाम्this

अहम्I

शक्रस्यof Śakra (Indra)

अघsin

विमोक्षार्थम्for the sake of release (from it)

चतुर्भागम्a fourth part

प्रतीच्छaccept (receive)

वैindeed / surely

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Brahmā

Śakra (Indra)

Agni (implied by the Hindi gloss “Agni-dev!”)

brahma-hatyā (sin of brahman-slaying)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even divine beings are shown as bound by moral causality: grave wrongdoing (brahma-hatyā) demands expiation, and restoration of order may involve distributing the burden of guilt so that cosmic balance and social-ethical norms are upheld.

What is happening in the narrative?

Brahmā announces a plan to relieve Indra (Śakra) of the heavy guilt of brahma-slaying by dividing that guilt into portions; he instructs Agni to accept one quarter share as part of this apportionment.