Shloka 11
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
स कदाचित् समुद्रान्ते कस्मिंश्षचिद् गिरिगद्नरे । बलिं वैरोचनिं वज्ी ददर्शोपससर्प च
sa kadācit samudrānte kasmiṃś cid girigahvare | baliṃ vairocaniṃ vajrī dadarśopasasarpa ca ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Un jour, Indra —celui qui brandit le vajra— parvint au rivage de la mer. Là, dans une caverne de montagne, il vit Bali, fils de Virocana ; et, l’ayant aperçu, Indra s’approcha de lui, le vajra à la main.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical tension: even when one holds overwhelming power (Indra with the vajra), the encounter with a rival like Bali invites reflection on dharma—how authority should be exercised, and whether force alone can justify an action.
Indra arrives at the seashore, finds Bali (son of Virocana) in a mountain cave, and approaches him holding the vajra—introducing a pivotal meeting that typically leads into dialogue or a test of conduct between the two.