Shloka 14
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 13: Śacī’s Delay, Deva-Counsel, and Indra’s Purification
मामेव यजतां शक्र: पावयिष्यामि वज़िणम् | पुण्येन हयमेधेन मामिष्टठवा पाकशासन:
mām eva yajatāṁ śakraḥ pāvayiṣyāmi vajriṇam | puṇyena hayamedhena māmiṣṭvā pākaśāsanaḥ ||
«Que Śakra (Indra), le porteur de la foudre, ne m’adore que moi seul ; je le purifierai. Après m’avoir offert le méritoire sacrifice de l’Aśvamedha, Pākaśāsana (Indra), châtieur du démon Pāka, sera lavé de toute souillure.»
नहुष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how ritual merit and acts of worship are invoked as means of purification and legitimacy; ethically, it also warns that claims to purify or command even the gods can signal overreach and pride, testing the boundaries of rightful authority (dharma).
Nahuṣa speaks about Indra, asserting that Indra should worship him alone and perform an Aśvamedha for him; Nahuṣa claims this will purify Indra, framing himself as a superior recipient of sacrifice and a source of cleansing.