Shloka 4
Parāśara’s Counsel on बुद्धि (Discernment), Karma-Consequences, and Avoidance of Pāpānubandha Actions
कथं विनिहतो वृत्र: शक्रेण पुरुषर्षभ । धार्मिको विष्णुभक्तश्च तत्त्वज्ञश्न पदान्वये
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
kathaṁ vinihato vṛtraḥ śakreṇa puruṣarṣabha |
dhārmiko viṣṇubhaktaś ca tattvajñaś ca padānvaye ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik di antara manusia, bagaimana Vṛtra terbunuh oleh Śakra (Indra)? Padahal Vṛtra adalah insan dharmika, bhakta Viṣṇu, dan mahir menyingkap makna hakiki melalui hubungan kata dan susunan ajaran Veda serta Vedānta.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic paradox: outward labels (asura/deva, enemy/ally) do not automatically determine righteousness. A person may be devoted and truth-knowing, yet still become subject to violent outcomes due to complex duties, cosmic order, prior causes, or exceptional circumstances. The question invites a nuanced inquiry into when killing can be justified and how dharma operates beyond simplistic moral binaries.
Yudhiṣṭhira, in the Śānti Parva’s ethical discussions, asks an elder (addressed as ‘puruṣarṣabha’) to explain how Indra could kill Vṛtra. He emphasizes Vṛtra’s virtues—righteousness, devotion to Viṣṇu, and competence in interpreting sacred teaching—thereby pressing for an explanation of the circumstances and moral logic behind Indra’s act.