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Shloka 20

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

अथेज्यमाने पुरुषे सर्वदेवमयात्मनि । अश्वमेधे महेन्द्रेण वितते ब्रह्मवादिभि: ॥ १९ ॥ स वै त्वाष्ट्रवधो भूयानपि पापचयो नृप । नीतस्तेनैव शून्याय नीहार इव भानुना ॥ २० ॥

athejyamāne puruṣe sarva-devamayātmani aśvamedhe mahendreṇa vitate brahma-vādibhiḥ

Depois, quando os brahmavādīs celebraram o aśvamedha realizado por Mahendra, por ele adorar ali o Purusha Supremo, a Alma que contém todos os deuses, cessaram as reações de todos os seus pecados. Ó rei, até o grave pecado de matar o filho de Tvaṣṭā foi anulado de imediato, como a névoa é dissipada pelo nascer do sol.

सःthat (sin) / it
सः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन
वैindeed
वै:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle; emphasis)
त्वाष्ट्रवधःthe slaying of (Vṛtra) related to Tvaṣṭṛ
त्वाष्ट्रवधः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootत्वाष्ट्र-वध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासः: त्वाष्ट्र (वृत्र/त्वष्टृ-सम्बन्धी) + वध (तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
भूयान्greater
भूयान्:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootभूयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतुलनात्मक-विशेषण (comparative), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘greater’
अपिeven
अपि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle; even/also)
पापचयःa heap/accumulation of sin
पापचयः:
Upamana/Comparison-base (उपमान-आधार)
TypeNoun
Rootपापचय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासः: पाप + चय (तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
नृपO king
नृप:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootनृप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन
नीतःwas removed
नीतः:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootनी (धातु)
Formभूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘was led/removed’
तेनby that (sacrifice/worship)
तेन:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन
एवalone, indeed
एव:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle: just/only)
शून्यायto nothingness (i.e., to nonexistence)
शून्याय:
Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootशून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; ‘to nothingness/emptiness’
नीहारःmist, fog
नीहारः:
Upamana (उपमान)
TypeNoun
Rootनीहार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
इवlike
इव:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formउपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)
भानुनाby the sun
भानुना:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootभानु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन
P
Parīkṣit Mahārāja
I
Indra
V
Vṛtrāsura
T
Tvaṣṭā

FAQs

This verse says that even a great burden of sin—like that from killing Vṛtrāsura—can be nullified by the proper sacrificial act, compared to fog vanishing in sunlight.

He is called tvāṣṭra because he was born from Tvaṣṭā (Viśvarūpa’s father), and thus his slaying is described as 'tvāṣṭra-vadha.'

Sincere, dharmic corrective action—done with proper intent and guidance—can gradually clear heavy guilt and wrongdoing, just as light naturally removes darkness.