Shloka 34
कुमाराभिषेकप्रश्नः — Inquiry into Kumāra (Skanda) Investiture at Sarasvatī
नमुचिर्वासवाद् भीत: सूर्यरश्मिं समाविशत्
namucir vāsavād bhītaḥ sūryaraśmiṁ samāviśat | vadhiṣyāmy asuraśreṣṭha sakhe satyena te śape ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Namuci, terrifié par Vāsava (Indra), se fondit dans les rayons du soleil. Alors Indra se lia d’amitié avec lui et jura au nom de la vérité : «Ô le meilleur des Asura, mon ami, je ne te tuerai ni par une arme humide ni par une arme sèche ; ni le jour ni la nuit.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical tension between the sanctity of an oath (satya) and the possibility of manipulating its wording. It invites reflection on whether righteousness lies in merely keeping the literal terms of a vow or in honoring its intended moral spirit.
Namuci, fearing Indra, hides by merging into the sun’s rays. Indra then befriends him and swears a protective-sounding promise—he will not kill Namuci with wet or dry weapons, nor in day or night—creating an apparent safeguard that later becomes a setup for a loophole-based killing.