Shloka 17
अध्याय २८१ — दानधर्मः, न्यायागतधनम्, ऋणत्रय-परिशोधनं च
Dāna ethics, lawful wealth, and settling obligations
जग्राह वध्या देवेन्द्र सुलगना चाभवत् तदा । स हि तस्मिन् समुत्पन्ने ब्रह्म॒वध्याकृते भये
jagrāha vadhyā devendra sulagnā cābhavat tadā | sa hi tasmin samutpanne brahmavadhyākṛte bhaye
Bhīṣma disse: “Então a maldição do pecado de Brahmahatyā — o crime de matar Brahmā, destinado a abater o seu alvo — apoderou-se de Indra e a ele se prendeu com firmeza. Pois, quando surgiu aquele temor, nascido do ato de matar um brāhmaṇa, ele foi por ele dominado.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the highest authority is not exempt from moral causality: a grave transgression like Brahmin-slaying generates an inescapable fear/taint (Brahmahatyā) that ‘clings’ to the doer until addressed through rightful means.
Bhīṣma describes the moment when the fear/curse arising from Brahmahatyā manifests and attaches itself to Indra, portraying the transgression’s immediate ethical and psychological consequence as something that seizes and adheres to its agent.