Shloka 29
अग्निवर्णो ज्वलन् धीमान् स द्विजो रथधुर्यवत् । प्रतोदेनातुदद् बालां रुक्मिणीं मम पश्यत:
agnivarṇo jvalan dhīmān sa dvijo rathadhuryavat | pratodenātudad bālāṃ rukmiṇīṃ mama paśyataḥ ||
Vāyu disse: “Aquele brâmane—de cor ígnea, em chamas e de mente aguda—diante dos meus próprios olhos começou a açoitar com um chicote a inocente Rukmiṇī, como se açoitam os cavalos jungidos a uma carruagem.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that spiritual brilliance and social-religious status (dvija, dhīmān) do not excuse harshness. Dharma requires restraint and compassion; power—especially ascetic or moral authority—must not be used to harm the innocent.
Vāyu narrates a scene he witnesses: a fiery, intelligent brahmin begins lashing the innocent Rukmiṇī with a whip, likening the act to whipping chariot-horses. The comparison intensifies the sense of dehumanizing cruelty and sets up an ethical critique of such conduct.