Shloka 26
Marutta–Indra Rivalry and Bṛhaspati’s Priestly Refusal (मरुत्तेन्द्रस्पर्धा—बृहस्पतेः पौरोहित्यनिश्चयः)
समाश्च॒सिहि देवेन्द्र नाहं मर्त्यस्य कर्हिचित् । ग्रहीष्यामि ख्रुवं यज्ञे शूणु चेदं वचो मम
samaś ca sīhi devendra nāhaṁ martyasya karhicit | grahīṣyāmi dhruvaṁ yajñe śṛṇu cedaṁ vaco mama, devendra! dhairyaṁ dhāraṇa karo | aba maiṁ kabhī kisī manuṣya-ke yajña-meṁ jākar khruvā hātha-meṁ nahīṁ lūṁgā | isake sivā merī yaha bāta bhī dhyāna-se suna lo |
Vyāsa dit : « Sois calme, ô Indra. Jamais plus je n’irai à un sacrifice de mortel ni ne prendrai en main la louche rituelle (khruvā). Et maintenant, ô seigneur des dieux, écoute attentivement mes paroles : tiens ferme à la patience et à la maîtrise de soi. »
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes restraint and ethical firmness: even a revered sage sets boundaries about participating in human rituals, and advises Indra to maintain calm and patience (dhairya). It highlights that true authority is expressed through composure and principled refusal, not impulsive reaction.
Vyāsa addresses Indra directly, urging him to be calm. He declares a decisive resolve that he will no longer attend a mortal’s sacrifice to take up the sacrificial ladle, and he asks Indra to listen attentively and sustain patience—suggesting a tense ritual or moral dispute where composure is required.