Shloka 55
Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant
बुध्यामि त्वां वृत्रहणं शतक्रतुं व्यतिक्रमन्तं भुवनानि विश्वा । कच्चिन्न वाचा वृजिनं कदाचि- दकार्ष ते मनसो5भिषंगात्
buddhyāmi tvāṁ vṛtrahaṇaṁ śatakratuṁ vyatikramantaṁ bhuvanāni viśvā | kaccin na vācā vṛjinaṁ kadācid akāṛṣ te manaso’bhiṣaṅgāt ||
Aku mengenalmu sebagai Vṛtrahan, Indra Śatakratu yang telah melaksanakan seratus korban suci, yang mengembara meninjau segala alam. Katakanlah—pernahkah aku, ketika fikiran bergelora, melakukan kesalahan terhadapmu melalui kata-kataku?
गौतम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical vigilance over speech: even when the mind is disturbed, one should fear causing harm through words and be ready to acknowledge and correct possible wrongdoing.
Gautama realizes that the person before him is not an ordinary king but Indra, the slayer of Vṛtra, who moves through the worlds. He anxiously asks whether, in a moment of mental agitation, he may have offended Indra through his speech.