Shloka 37
क्षात्राद् बलाद् ब्रह्मबलं गरीयो न ब्रह्मतः किंचिदन्यद् गरीय: । सोऊहं जानन् ब्रह्मतेजो यथाव- न्न संवर्त जेतुमिच्छामि शक्र,अत: देवेन्द्र! क्षात्रबलकी अपेक्षा ब्राह्मणबल श्रेष्ठतम है। ब्राह्मणसे बढ़कर दूसरी कोई शक्ति नहीं है। मैं ब्रह्मतेजको अच्छी तरह जानता हूँ; अतः संवर्तको जीतनेकी मुझे इच्छातक नहीं होती है
kṣātrād balād brahmabalaṃ garīyo na brahmataḥ kiṃcid anyad garīyaḥ | so ’haṃ jānann brahmatejo yathāvan na saṃvartaṃ jetum icchāmi śakra ||
Śakra (Indra) declares that the power of the Brahmin—spiritual force grounded in austerity and sacred knowledge—is weightier than mere martial might, and that nothing surpasses Brahmanical power. Knowing well the true potency of brahma-tejas, he says he does not even wish to attempt to defeat Saṃvarta. The verse frames an ethical hierarchy of power: restraint and reverence toward spiritual authority are presented as wiser than pride in force.
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that spiritual authority (brahma-bala/brahma-tejas), rooted in tapas and sacred knowledge, is superior to mere martial force; true wisdom includes recognizing limits and showing reverence toward higher dharmic power.
Indra (Śakra) speaks about the relative hierarchy of powers and, acknowledging the formidable brahma-tejas of the sage Saṃvarta, states that he does not even wish to try to defeat him.