Shloka 8
Pūjya-namaskārya-prakaraṇa
On Those Worthy of Honor and Salutation
उसे गिरते देख सम्पूर्ण भूतोंके हितमें तत्पर रहनेवाले वर देनेमें समर्थ इन्द्रने दौड़कर पकड़ लिया ।।
śakra uvāca | mataṅga brāhmaṇatvaṃ te viruddham iha dṛśyate | brāhmaṇyaṃ durlabhataraṃ saṃvṛtaṃ paripanthibhiḥ ||
Voyant Mataṅga tomber, Indra—capable d’accorder des dons et toujours empressé pour le bien de tous les êtres—accourut et le retint. Śakra (Indra) dit : « Ô Mataṅga, en cette vie même, l’accès à l’état de brāhmaṇa te paraît fermé. La brāhmaṇité est d’une rareté extrême ; et la route qui y mène est cernée de brigands—tels le désir et la colère—qui barrent le passage. »
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
True spiritual excellence (brāhmaṇya) is extremely hard to attain and is threatened by inner ‘robbers’—especially desire and anger—so self-mastery is essential for any higher dharmic goal.
Indra (Śakra), addressing Mataṅga, warns him that brahminhood is not attainable for him in this life and explains that the path to brahminical excellence is rare and obstructed by forces that derail conduct, such as lust and wrath.