Shloka 18
Purohita-Niyoga and the Brahma–Kṣatra Concord
Aila–Kaśyapa Saṃvāda
ऐल उवाच कुतो रुद्र: कीदृशो वापि रुद्र: सत्त्वै: सत्त्वं दृश्यते वध्यमानम् । एतत् सर्व कश्यप मे प्रचक्ष्व कुतो रुद्रो जायते देव एष:
aila uvāca: kuto rudraḥ? kīdṛśo vāpi rudraḥ? sattvaiḥ sattvaṃ dṛśyate vadhyamānam. etat sarvaṃ kaśyapa me pracakṣva—kuto rudro jāyate deva eṣaḥ?
Aila (Purūravas) berkata: “Wahai Kaśyapa, dari mana Rudra muncul, dan seperti apakah Rudra itu? Di dunia ini terlihat makhluk hidup saling membunuh. Lalu dari siapakah dewa Rudra ini dilahirkan? Jelaskan semuanya kepadaku dengan terang.”
ऐल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a philosophical inquiry into divine causation: if worldly killing is seen as creature-against-creature, how can a transcendent deity associated with destruction (Rudra) be said to be ‘born’ and from what source? It invites a dharmic explanation that distinguishes ordinary violence from cosmic function and origin.
King Aila (Purūravas) questions the sage Kaśyapa about Rudra—his origin and nature—prompted by the observation that in the world beings kill beings, so he seeks to know how Rudra, a divine power linked with destruction, comes into existence and from whom.