Shloka 17
Puruṣaikatva-vyākhyāna: The One Virāṭ Puruṣa and the Many ‘Puruṣas’
Rudra–Brahmā Saṃvāda
(विरुद्ध वेदसूत्राणामुक्त यदि भवेन्नूप । वयं विरुद्धवचना यदि तत्र पतामहे ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | viruddha-veda-sūtrāṇām uktaṃ yadi bhaven nṛpa | vayaṃ viruddha-vacanā yadi tatra patāmahe || tataḥ tasmin muhūrte ’tha rājoparicaras tadā | adho vai sambabhūvāśu bhūme vivara-go nṛpa rājann ||
Bhīṣma dit : « Ô roi ! Si ce que tu as dit est contraire aux Veda et aux Sūtra, que notre malédiction s’accomplisse à coup sûr ; mais si c’est nous qui parlons contre les Écritures, que notre chute advienne. » À peine les sages eurent-ils parlé ainsi qu’en cet instant même le roi Uparicara descendit promptement du ciel et entra aussitôt dans une fissure de la terre.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage teaches that claims and judgments must be measured against established sacred authority (Veda and sūtra). Ethical confidence is shown by accepting consequences: if one is wrong against dharma, one should be ready to bear the fall; if the other is wrong, the curse rightly applies.
A challenge is framed: if the king’s statement is anti-scriptural, the sages’ curse should stand; if the sages are anti-scriptural, they should fall. Immediately after this pronouncement, King Uparichara descends from the sky and enters a cleft in the earth, signaling that the verdict has taken effect.