Shloka 58

अध्याय २८१ — दानधर्मः, न्यायागतधनम्, ऋणत्रय-परिशोधनं च

Dāna ethics, lawful wealth, and settling obligations

Devanagari script

श्रूयते च महाराज सम्प्राप्ता वासवेन वै । ब्रह्म॒वध्या ततः शुद्धि हयमेधेन लब्धवान्‌,महाराज! सुननेमें आता है कि इन्द्रको जो ब्रह्महत्या लगी थी, उससे उन्होंने अश्वमेध यज्ञ करके ही शुद्धि लाभ की थी

Transliteration

śrūyate ca mahārāja samprāptā vāsavena vai | brahma-vadhyā tataḥ śuddhiṃ hayamedhena labdhavān ||

Translation

Bhishma berkata: “Juga terdengar, wahai raja agung, bahwa Vāsava (Indra) terkena noda brahma-hatyā; kemudian ia meraih penyucian dengan melaksanakan kurban Aśvamedha.”

Word by Word

श्रूयतेis heard / it is said

चand

महाराजO great king

सम्प्राप्ताhaving befallen / obtained (fem.)

वासवेनby Vāsava (Indra)

वैindeed / surely

ब्रह्मवध्याthe sin/taint of brahma-slaying (brahmahatyā)

ततःthereupon / from that

शुद्धिम्purification

हयमेधेनby the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)

लब्धवान्obtained (he obtained)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Mahārāja (the king addressed, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira in context)

Vāsava (Indra)

Brahma-vadhyā / Brahmahatyā

Hayamedha (Aśvamedha sacrifice)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a dharmic precedent: even the powerful are not beyond moral consequence, and grave wrongdoing (brahma-hatyā) is met with prescribed expiation; purification is portrayed as attainable through sanctioned atonement (here, the Aśvamedha).

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, instructing the king, cites a traditional report about Indra: after incurring brahma-hatyā, Indra is said to have regained purity by performing the Aśvamedha sacrifice, supporting Bhīṣma’s broader discourse on dharma and expiatory rites.