Shloka 20
अध्याय २८१ — दानधर्मः, न्यायागतधनम्, ऋणत्रय-परिशोधनं च
Dāna ethics, lawful wealth, and settling obligations
न चाशकत् तां देवेन्द्रो ब्रह्मवध्यां व्यपोहितुम् । देवेन्द्रने उसके निवारणके लिये महान् प्रयत्न किया; परंतु किसी तरह भी वे उसे दूर न कर सके ।। गृहीत एव तु तया देवेन्द्रो भरतर्षभ
na cāśakat tāṁ devendro brahmavadhyāṁ vyapohitum | gṛhīta eva tu tayā devendro bharatarṣabha ||
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Maging si Devendra (Indra) ay hindi nakayang itaboy ang kasalanang pagpatay sa brāhmaṇa. Bagaman nagsikap nang lubos ang panginoon ng mga diyos upang hadlangan ito, hindi niya ito naalis sa anumang paraan; sa halip, nanatili siyang sakmal nito—O toro sa lipi ng Bharata.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that certain grave violations of dharma—especially brahma-hatyā—carry consequences that cannot be erased merely by status or power. Even Indra cannot simply ‘push away’ the moral taint; ethical causality demands accountability and, where possible, proper expiation.
Bhīṣma, instructing Yudhiṣṭhira in Śānti Parva, cites Indra as an example: Indra attempts to remove the taint of brahma-hatyā but fails, remaining ‘seized’ by it. The narrative functions as a cautionary illustration within Bhīṣma’s discourse on dharma and the weight of wrongdoing.