Shloka 12
Adhyaya 7 — Harishchandra Tested by Vishvamitra: The Gift of the Kingdom and the Pandava Curse-Backstory
कोऽयं बघ्नाति वस्त्रान्ते पावकं पापकृन्नरः ।
बलोष्णतेजसा दीप्ते मयि पत्यावुपस्थिते ॥
ko ’yaṃ baghnāti vastrānte pāvakaṃ pāpakṛn naraḥ |
baloṣṇa-tejasā dīpte mayi patyāv upasthite ||
«Qui est ce pécheur qui tente d’étouffer le feu avec le bord d’un vêtement, alors que moi—embrasée par l’ardente splendeur de la force—me tiens ici, mon époux étant présent ?»
FAQs
The verse uses a vivid simile: trying to extinguish fire with cloth is futile and self-defeating. Ethically, it underscores that confronting divine power (tejas) through adharmic intent is both ineffective and destructive—adharma cannot “smother” dharmic, luminous power.
This belongs primarily to Vamśānucarita/Carita-style narrative (exemplary sacred history and deeds), not to Sarga/Pratisarga/Manvantara/Vamśa cataloging. Within the Purana’s fivefold markers, it is best classified as ‘Carita’ embedded in a broader puranic frame.
Fire (pāvaka) symbolizes awakened tejas—inner spiritual potency. Cloth (vastra) can signify external coverings: ego, ignorance, or superficial ritualism. The image suggests that mere external means cannot suppress awakened Shakti; when Shakti ‘stands present’ (upasthita), ignorance’s attempt to cover or extinguish consciousness is doomed.