Shloka 28
अध्याय २८१ — दानधर्मः, न्यायागतधनम्, ऋणत्रय-परिशोधनं च
Dāna ethics, lawful wealth, and settling obligations
भीष्म उवाच तथेति तां प्राह तदा ब्रह्म॒वध्यां पितामह: । उपायत: स शक्रस्य ब्रह्म॒वध्यां व्यपोहत
bhīṣma uvāca | tatheti tāṁ prāha tadā brahmavadhyāṁ pitāmahaḥ | upāyataḥ sa śakrasya brahmavadhyāṁ vyapohat |
ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ—“ਤਥਾਸਤੁ।” ਤਦ ਪਿਤਾਮਹ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਨੇ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਹਤਿਆ-ਰੂਪ (ਬ੍ਰਹਮਵਧਿਆ) ਨੂੰ ਕਿਹਾ—“ਚੰਗਾ; ਮੈਂ ਤੇਰੇ ਲਈ ਨਿਵਾਸ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧ ਕਰਾਂਗਾ।” ਇਹ ਕਹਿ ਕੇ ਉਸ ਨੇ ਉਪਾਯ ਨਾਲ ਸ਼ਕ੍ਰ (ਇੰਦਰ) ਉੱਤੇ ਲੱਗੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਹਤਿਆ ਨੂੰ ਦੂਰ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the highest authority is accountable to dharma: grave wrongdoing generates a real moral taint (here personified as Brahmavadhyā) that must be addressed through an appropriate, dharma-aligned remedy. The text emphasizes responsibility, expiation, and restoration of order rather than denial of guilt.
Bhīṣma recounts that Brahmā assents and speaks to the personified Brahmavadhyā, promising to arrange a place for her; then, by an expedient method, he removes the brahma-slaughter taint that had come upon Indra (Śakra).