Shloka 37
इन्द्रस्य दुःखप्राप्तिः—त्रिशिरोवधः, वृत्रोत्पत्तिः, जृम्भिकाजननम्
Indra’s Distress: Slaying of Triśiras, Birth of Vṛtra, and the Origin of Yawning
बढ़ई! यद्यपि यह मारा गया है, तो भी अभीतक मुझे इसका भय बना हुआ है। तू शीघ्र इसके मस्तकोंके टुकड़े-टुकड़े कर दे। मैं तेरे ऊपर अनुग्रह करूँगा ।। शिर: पशोस्ते दास्यन्ति भागं यज्ञेषु मानवा: । एष ते&नुग्रहस्तक्षन् क्षिप्रं कुरुमम प्रियम्,मनुष्य हिंसाप्रधान तामस यज्ञोंमें पशुका सिर तेरे भागके रूपमें देंगे। बढ़ई! यह तेरे ऊपर मेरा अनुग्रह है। अब तू जल्दी मेरा प्रिय कार्य कर
śakra uvāca | takṣan! yady api ayaṁ hataḥ, tathāpi adyāpi me ’sya bhayaṁ vartate | tvaṁ śīghram asya mastakānāṁ ṭukḍe-ṭukḍe kuru | ahaṁ te ’nugrahaṁ kariṣyāmi || śiraḥ paśos te dāsyanti bhāgaṁ yajñeṣu mānavāḥ | eṣa te ’nugrahas takṣan kṣipraṁ kuru mama priyam ||
Śakra said: “Carpenter, although this one has been slain, I still feel fear of him even now. Quickly cut his heads into pieces; I will show you favor. In the dark, violence-centered sacrifices performed by men, they will give you the head of the sacrificial animal as your share. This is my boon to you, carpenter—now swiftly do what pleases me.”
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear and self-interest can drive a powerful figure to demand further violence even after an enemy is already slain, and how rewards can be used to incentivize ethically troubling acts—especially when linked to ritual practice described here as tamasic and violence-centered.
Indra (Śakra), still afraid despite the opponent’s death, orders a carpenter (Takṣan) to mutilate the slain being’s heads. As inducement, he promises a boon: in certain sacrifices, humans will grant the carpenter the animal’s head as his allotted portion.