Shloka 27
Vivāha-dharma: Kanyā-pradāna, Śulka, and Pāṇigrahaṇa-niṣṭhā (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४४)
भीष्म उवाच तत् श्रुत्वा वचनं शक्रो विपुलस्य महात्मन: । अकिंचिदुक्त्वा व्रीडार्तस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
bhīṣma uvāca tat śrutvā vacanaṃ śakro vipulasya mahātmanaḥ | akiñcid uktvā vrīḍārtaḥ tatraivāntaradhīyata ||
Bhīṣma berkata: Mendengar kata-kata itu dari Vipula yang berhati luhur, Indra (Śakra) diliputi rasa malu. Tanpa mengucap sepatah pun, ia lenyap dari tempat itu juga.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the highest authority is not above dharma: when confronted by a righteous, truth-speaking person, arrogance collapses into shame. The verse highlights ethical accountability and the power of moral clarity over mere status or power.
Vipula has spoken a pointed, dharmic rebuke or instruction. Indra, hearing it, feels ashamed, offers no counter-argument, and disappears on the spot—an implicit acknowledgment of Vipula’s moral force.