Shloka 40
Bhaṅgāśvanopākhyāna — On comparative affection in strī–puruṣa union (भङ्गाश्वनोपाख्यानम्)
इन्द्रद्ध्रिन यजता मामनाहूय घिष्ठितम् । इन्द्रोडहमस्मि दुर्बुद्धे वैरं ते पातितं मया
indraddhriṇa yajatā māṁ anāhūya gṛhītam | indro ’ham asmi durbuddhe vairaṁ te pātitaṁ mayā ||
Bhīṣma dit : «“Tu as accompli un sacrifice lié à Indra, mais tu l’as mené à terme sans m’invoquer. Ô femme à l’entendement égaré, je suis Indra lui-même ; c’est moi qui ai fait tomber sur toi la rétribution, pour payer l’inimitié que tu nourrissais.”»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical idea that hostility (vaira) invites consequences: even when one performs a sacred rite, motives and relationships—such as enmity and exclusion—can lead to retributive outcomes, framed here as divine agency.
Bhishma reports a speech in which a figure identifies himself as Indra and confronts a woman who completed an Indra-related sacrifice without properly invoking him, declaring that he has exacted vengeance for the enmity involved.