Shloka 3
Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana
Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues
पितामहमुपागम्य प्रणिपत्य कृताउज्जलि: । सवनिवासुरान् जित्वा बलिं पप्रच्छ वासव:
pitāmaham upāgamya praṇipatya kṛtāñjaliḥ | sa-vanivāsurān jitvā baliṁ papraccha vāsavaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Un jour, après avoir vaincu les Asuras avec leurs alliés et leurs dépendants, Indra (Vāsava) s’approcha du Grand-Père Brahmā. S’inclinant, les mains jointes en signe de révérence, il demanda : “Seigneur bienheureux, où demeure Bali ?”»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even after success, one should remain humble and seek guidance from a higher, wiser authority. Indra’s folded-hands inquiry to Brahmā models disciplined victory—power tempered by reverence and the pursuit of right knowledge.
Indra, having defeated the Asuras, goes to Brahmā (the Pitāmaha) and respectfully asks where Bali is residing. The verse sets up a consultation with Brahmā about Bali’s whereabouts and, implicitly, about the proper course of action after victory.