Shloka 62

अध्याय २८१ — दानधर्मः, न्यायागतधनम्, ऋणत्रय-परिशोधनं च

Dāna ethics, lawful wealth, and settling obligations

Devanagari script

कुरुनन्दन! तुम भी इन ब्राह्मणोंका सभी अवस्थाओंमें प्रिय करो। ये इस पृथ्वीपर देवताके रूपमें विख्यात हैं |। एवं शक्रेण कौरव्य बुद्धिसौ क्ष्म्यान्महासुर: । उपायपूर्व निहतो वृत्रो ह्मिततेजसा,कुरुकुलभूषण! इस तरह अमित तेजस्वी देवराज इन्द्रने अपनी सूक्ष्म बुद्धिसे काम लेकर उपायपूर्वक महान्‌ असुर वृत्रका वध किया था

Transliteration

kurunandana! tvam api ime brāhmaṇān sarvāsv avasthāsu priyān kuru. ete ’smin pṛthivyāṃ devatārūpeṇa vikhyātāḥ. evaṃ śakreṇa kauravya buddhisaukṣmyān mahāsuraḥ upāyapūrvaṃ nihato vṛtro ’mitatejasā, kurukulabhūṣaṇa! itthaṃ amitatejasā devarājena indreṇa sūkṣmabuddhyā kāryaṃ kṛtvā upāyapūrvaṃ mahān asuro vṛtraḥ hataḥ.

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Ô joie des Kuru, toi aussi, en toute circonstance, tiens ces brahmanes pour chers et dignes d’honneur. Sur cette terre, ils sont renommés comme des incarnations des dieux. De même, ô Kaurava — ô parure de la lignée des Kuru — le roi des dieux, Indra, d’un éclat sans mesure, usa d’une intelligence subtile et d’expédients mûrement pesés pour abattre jadis le grand asura Vṛtra.»

Word by Word

• {'kurunandana': 'delight of the Kuru race

• a respectful address to a Kuru prince', 'brāhmaṇa': 'a Brahmin

• bearer of Vedic learning', 'sarvāsu avasthāsu': 'in all conditions/circumstances', 'priya': 'dear, beloved, to be treated with favor', 'pṛthivī': 'the earth', 'devatārūpa': 'having the form/nature of a deity', 'vikhyāta': 'well-known, renowned', 'śakra': 'Indra, the lord of the gods', 'kauravya': 'O descendant of Kuru

• address to the listener', 'buddhi-saukṣmya': 'subtlety/fineness of intellect

• strategic discernment', 'upāya': 'means, expedient, skillful method', 'upāyapūrvam': 'by means of an expedient

• with prior planning/strategy', 'nihata/hata': 'slain, killed', 'mahāsura': 'great Asura (powerful anti-god/demon)', 'vṛtra': 'Vritra, the Asura slain by Indra in Vedic myth', 'amita-tejas': 'of immeasurable splendor/power', 'devarāja': 'king of the gods', 'kurukulabhūṣaṇa': 'ornament of the Kuru family

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Kuru prince (addressed as Kurunandana/Kauravya/Kurukulabhushana)
• Brahmins
• Indra (Shakra)
• Vritra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should honor and protect Brahmins in all situations, recognizing their sacred social role; and should use subtle discernment and appropriate means (upāya) to resolve grave threats, as illustrated by Indra’s slaying of Vritra.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma instructs the Kuru king to keep Brahmins pleased and revered, then cites a well-known mythic precedent: Indra, through strategic intelligence and a carefully chosen expedient, killed the powerful Asura Vritra.