Shloka 373
कुमाराभिषेकप्रश्नः — Inquiry into Kumāra (Skanda) Investiture at Sarasvatī
भो भो मित्रघ्न पापेति ब्रुवाणं शक्रमन्तिकात् । नमुचिका वह कटा हुआ मस्तक इन्द्रके पीछे लग गया। वह उनके पास जाकर बारंबार कहने लगा, 'ओ मित्रघाती पापात्मा इन्द्र! तू कहाँ जाता है?”
bho bho mitraghna pāpeti bruvāṇaṃ śakram antikāt | namucikā vah kaṭā huā mastaka indrasya pṛṣṭhataḥ lagnaḥ | sa teṣām upagamya punaḥ punaḥ uvāca—“he mitraghātin pāpātman indra! tvaṃ kva gacchasi?”
Vaiśampāyana disse: Bem de perto, a cabeça decepada de Namuci seguia Indra e não cessava de bradar: “Ei, ei—assassino de um amigo, pecador!” Aproximando-se dele repetidas vezes, tornava a escarnecer: “Ó Indra, matador de amigo, de alma perversa—para onde vais?” A cena ressalta o peso moral da traição: até um ato vitorioso pode ser assombrado pela acusação de ter violado a confiança e o dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when power or victory is achieved, actions that violate trust and moral duty (dharma)—such as harming one who is regarded as a friend—carry an ethical stain that returns as accusation and inner/outer retribution.
Indra is being pursued and verbally taunted by Namuci’s severed head, which repeatedly calls him “mitraghna” (friend-slayer) and “pāpa” (sinner), confronting him with the moral charge behind the act that led to Namuci’s death.