Shloka 32
कुमाराभिषेकप्रश्नः — Inquiry into Kumāra (Skanda) Investiture at Sarasvatī
जनमेजय उवाच किमर्थ भगवान् शक्रो ब्रह्मवध्यामवाप्तवान्
janamejaya uvāca kimarthaṁ bhagavān śakro brahmavadhyām avāptavān
Janamejaya said: “For what reason did the revered Śakra (Indra) incur the guilt of brahma-slaughter?”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the highest authority is accountable to dharma: actions that violate the sanctity of a brāhmaṇa (or the principle of brahmanical inviolability) generate grave moral culpability, prompting inquiry into cause, responsibility, and the need for expiation.
Janamejaya, listening to the Mahābhārata account, asks why Indra—honored as Śakra—came to bear the stigma of brahmahatyā. The question sets up an explanation of the prior event that led to this guilt and its ethical implications.