Shloka 70
Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank
रजस्तमोविष्टतनू तावुभौ मधुकैटभौ । ब्रह्मणोपचितिं कुर्वन् जघान मधुसूदन:
rajastamoviṣṭatanū tāv ubhau madhukaiṭabhau | brahmaṇopacitiṁ kurvan jaghāna madhusūdanaḥ ||
Waiśaṃpāyana berkata: Kedua makhluk itu—Madhu dan Kaiṭabha—yang tubuhnya dipenuhi rajas dan tamas, dibunuh oleh Madhusūdana demi menegakkan maksud serta kesejahteraan Brahmā.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames divine violence as ethically justified when it restores cosmic order: beings dominated by rajas and tamas become disruptive, and the Lord acts to protect Brahmā’s work of creation and the welfare of the world.
Vaiśaṃpāyana recounts that Viṣṇu—called Madhusūdana—killed the two asuras Madhu and Kaiṭabha, whose nature was steeped in rajas and tamas, in order to secure Brahmā’s safety and the continuation of creation.