Shloka 18
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 33: Vāsuki’s Council on Averting the Sarpa-satra
वव्राज तरसा वेगाद् वायुं स्पर्थनू महाजव: । तं व्रजन्तं खगश्रेष्ठं वज्रेणेन्द्रो5भ्यताडयत्
Śaunaka uvāca |
vavrāja tarasā vegād vāyuṃ spṛśanū mahājavaḥ |
taṃ vrajantaṃ khagaśreṣṭhaṃ vajreṇendro 'bhyatāḍayat ||
Com ímpeto e velocidade tremenda, o grande veloz avançou, como se roçasse o próprio vento. Enquanto o melhor dos pássaros seguia seu curso, Indra o atingiu com o vajra, o raio.
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral tension: even divine authority (Indra) may resort to force when challenged, prompting reflection on restraint, rightful power, and the ethical limits of intervention against another being’s determined pursuit.
A supremely swift bird speeds forward with such force that it seems to touch the wind itself; seeing it in flight, Indra strikes the bird with his thunderbolt.