Shloka 28
पात्रलक्षण-परिक्षा (Pātra-Lakṣaṇa Parīkṣā) — Criteria for a Worthy Recipient
तेषामेव प्रभावेण सहस्ननयनो हासौ । शतक्रतु: समभवत् पश्य माधव यादृशम्
teṣām eva prabhāveṇa sahasranayano hy asau | śatakratuḥ samabhavat paśya mādhava yādṛśam ||
“Pela força mesma daqueles brāhmaṇas, este Indra tornou-se ‘o de mil olhos’. Vê, ó Mādhava, o que a potência deles pode realizar: das marcas que surgiram em seu corpo por sua influência, ele veio a ser conhecido como Sahasrākṣa (Mil-Olhos) e Śatakratu (o realizador de cem sacrifícios).”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral and social idea that brāhmaṇas/ascetics, through tapas and spiritual authority (prabhāva), can decisively shape outcomes—even for gods—so one should treat such power with reverence and caution.
Vāyudeva points to Indra’s epithet ‘Sahasrākṣa’ and explains it as an effect of the brāhmaṇas’ influence: their potency caused distinctive marks that became symbolically reinterpreted as ‘eyes,’ establishing Indra’s famed designation.