Shloka 23
Vivāha-dharma: Kanyā-pradāna, Śulka, and Pāṇigrahaṇa-niṣṭhā (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४४)
नाहं त्वामद्य मूढात्मन् दहेयं हि स्वतेजसा । कृपायमानस्तु न ते दग्धुमिच्छामि वासव,मूढचित्त इन्द्र! मैं अपने तेजसे तुझे जलाकर भस्म कर सकता हूँ। केवल दया करके ही तुझे इस समय जलाना नहीं चाहता
nāhaṃ tvām adya mūḍhātman daheyaṃ hi svatejasā | kṛpāyamānas tu na te dagdhum icchāmi vāsava mūḍhacitta indra ||
‘മൂഢാത്മാവേ! ഇന്ന് എന്റെ തേജസ്സാൽ നിന്നെ ചാരമാക്കാൻ എനിക്കാകും; എന്നാൽ വാസവാ, കരുണകൊണ്ട് ഞാൻ നിന്നെ ദഹിപ്പാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നില്ല.’
विपुल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power (tejas) is not meant for impulsive punishment; the higher ethic is self-restraint guided by compassion. Even when one has the capacity to destroy, choosing mercy over retaliation is presented as a superior dharmic response, especially toward one acting in delusion.
Vipula confronts Indra (Vāsava) and declares that he has the spiritual potency to burn him immediately, yet refrains out of compassion. The line underscores Vipula’s moral control and frames Indra as momentarily misguided, setting a tone of admonition rather than vengeance.