Shloka 5
Bhaṅgāśvanopākhyāna — On comparative affection in strī–puruṣa union (भङ्गाश्वनोपाख्यानम्)
इन्द्रो ज्ञात्वा तु तं यज्ञ महाभाग: सुरेश्वर: । अन्तरं तस्य राजर्षेरन्विच्छन्नियतात्मन:
Indro jñātvā tu taṃ yajñaṃ mahābhāgaḥ sureśvaraḥ | antaraṃ tasya rājarṣer anvicchann niyatātmanaḥ ||
ભીષ્મે કહ્યું— “તે યજ્ઞની વાત જાણતાં જ મહાભાગ દેવેશ્વર ઇન્દ્ર, નિયતાત્મા તે રાજર્ષિમાં કોઈ દોષ—કોઈ છિદ્ર—શોધવા લાગ્યા.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that true virtue is not merely performing great rites but maintaining integrity and self-control when subjected to scrutiny and temptation; even divine powers may test a person’s steadiness, so dharma must be inwardly firm, not only outwardly splendid.
Indra learns about a particular sacrifice being performed by a self-controlled royal sage and, feeling challenged or concerned, begins searching for an ‘antara’—a weakness or loophole—through which the sage’s undertaking might be disrupted or exposed.