Shloka 5

Indra’s Brahma-hatyā, Flight from Sin, and Purification by Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

इन्द्र उवाच स्त्रीभूद्रुमजलैरेनो विश्वरूपवधोद्भ‍वम् । विभक्तमनुगृह्णद्भ‍िर्वृत्रहत्यां क्‍व मार्ज्म्यहम् ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration

indra uvāca strī-bhū-druma-jalair eno viśvarūpa-vadhodbhavam vibhaktam anugṛhṇadbhir vṛtra-hatyāṁ kva mārjmy aham

Translation

ອິນທຣາກ່າວວ່າ—ເມື່ອຂ້າພະເຈົ້າສັງຫານວິຊະວະຣູປ ບາບອັນໜັກໄດ້ຕົກໃສ່ຂ້າ; ແຕ່ສະຕຣີ, ແຜ່ນດິນ, ຕົ້ນໄມ້ ແລະນ້ຳ ໄດ້ເມດຕາແບ່ງບາບນັ້ນ. ບັດນີ້ຖ້າຂ້າສັງຫານວຶດຣາສູຣ ຜູ້ເປັນພຣາຫມັນອີກຄົນ ຂ້າຈະພົ້ນຈາກບາບໄດ້ແນວໃດ?

Synonyms

• indraḥ: Indra
• indraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• strī-bhū-druma-jalaiḥ: by women, earth, trees, and waters
• strī-bhū-druma-jalaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + bhū (प्रातिपदिक) + druma (प्रातिपदिक) + jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter collective sense, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन); dvandva: ‘women, earth, trees, and waters’

• enaḥ: sin
• enaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: enas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• viśvarūpa-vadha-udbhavam: arisen from the killing of Viśvarūpa
• viśvarūpa-vadha-udbhavam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśvarūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vadha (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: viśvarūpasya vadhaḥ (killing of Viśvarūpa) → tasmāt udbhavam ‘arisen from’

• vibhaktam: divided/allocated
• vibhaktam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-bhakta (कृदन्त, √bhaj)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• anugṛhṇadbhīḥ: by those who are accepting/taking (it)
• anugṛhṇadbhīḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-grah (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन); agreeing with strī-bhū-druma-jalaiḥ

• vṛtra-hatyām: the killing of Vṛtra (sin of slaying Vṛtra)
• vṛtra-hatyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtra (प्रातिपदिक) + hatyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: vṛtrasya hatyā ‘slaying of Vṛtra’

• kva: where
• kva: Deśa-prashna (देश-प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative adverb (प्रश्न-अव्यय) ‘where?’

• mārjmi: shall I cleanse/remove
• mārjmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mṛj (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Viśvarūpa
• Vṛtra

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about atonement (prāyaścitta) for grave sins like brahmahatyā?

This verse shows Indra seeking purification even after partial relief—highlighting that grave karmic reactions require sincere atonement and higher divine arrangement for cleansing.

Why did Indra ask where he could cleanse the sin of killing Vṛtra?

Although the sin from killing Viśvarūpa was mercifully distributed among women, earth, trees, and water, Indra still feared the remaining reaction from killing Vṛtra and thus asked about further purification.

How can this teaching be applied in modern life when we make serious mistakes?

Like Indra, one should not minimize wrongdoing; instead, seek genuine rectification—accept responsibility, pursue purification through sincere spiritual practice, and avoid repeating the offense.