Shloka 16
इन्द्रवृत्रयुद्धवर्णनम्
Indra–Vṛtra Conflict and the Adversaries’ Tapas-Targeting Counsel
(लोमश उवाच इल्वलस्तु मुनि प्राह सर्वमस्ति यथा55तथ माम् | रथं तु यमवोचो मां नैनं विद्यो हिरण्मयम् ।। लोमशजी कहते हैं--राजन्! इसपर इल्वलने अगस्त्य मुनिसे कहा कि “आपने मुझसे जो कुछ कहा है, वह सब सत्य है; किंतु आपने जो मुझसे रथकी बात कही है, उस रथको हमलोग सुवर्णमय नहीं समझते हैं'। अगस्त्य उवाच न मे वागनृता काचिदुक्तपूर्वा महासुर ।) जिज्ञास्यतां रथ: सद्यो व्यक्त एष हिरण्मय: । अगस्त्यजीने कहा--महादैत्य! मेरे मुँहसे पहले कभी कोई बात झूठी नहीं निकली है, अतः शीघ्र पता लगाओ, यह रथ निश्चय ही सोनेका है ।। लोगमश उवाच जिज्ञास्यमान: स रथ: कौन्तेयासीद्धिरण्मय: । ततः प्रव्यथितो दैत्यो ददावभ्यधिकं वसु,लोमशजी कहते हैं--कुन्तीनन्दन युधिष्ठिर! पता लगानेपर वह रथ सोनेका ही निकला, तब मनमें (भाईकी मृत्युसे) व्यथित हुए उस दैत्यने महर्षिको बहुत अधिक धन दिया
lomaśa uvāca | ilvalas tu munim prāha sarvam asti yathā tathā mām | rathaṁ tu yam avoco māṁ nainaṁ vidyo hiraṇmayam || agastya uvāca | na me vāg anṛtā kācid uktapūrvā mahāsura | jijñāsyatāṁ rathaḥ sadyo vyakta eṣa hiraṇmayaḥ || lomaśa uvāca | jijñāsyamānaḥ sa rathaḥ kaunteyāsīd hiraṇmayaḥ | tataḥ pravyathito daityo dadāv abhyadhikaṁ vasu ||
Lomaśa said: Ilvala replied to the sage, “Everything you have told me is true; but about the chariot you mentioned— we do not recognize it as made of gold.” Agastya said: “Great Asura, no word spoken by me has ever been false. Examine it at once—this chariot is indeed manifestly golden.” Lomaśa said: When it was tested, that chariot, O son of Kuntī, proved to be of gold. Then the Daitya, shaken with distress, bestowed even greater wealth upon the sage.
लोगमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights satya (truthfulness) as a defining mark of a great sage: Agastya asserts that his speech has never been false, and invites verification. Ethical authority is grounded not in mere claim but in consistent integrity, which can withstand examination.
Ilvala doubts Agastya’s statement that a certain chariot is golden. Agastya insists on the truth of his words and asks that the chariot be tested. Upon investigation it is found to be gold, and Ilvala—distressed—gives the sage abundant wealth.