Shloka 24
Indra’s Envy at Pṛthu’s Aśvamedha and Brahmā’s Intervention
False Renunciation Exposed
एवमिन्द्रे हरत्यश्वं वैन्ययज्ञजिघांसया । तद्गृहीतविसृष्टेषु पाखण्डेषु मतिर्नृणाम् ॥ २४ ॥ धर्म इत्युपधर्मेषु नग्नरक्तपटादिषु । प्रायेण सज्जते भ्रान्त्या पेशलेषु च वाग्मिषु ॥ २५ ॥
evam indre haraty aśvaṁ vainya-yajña-jighāṁsayā tad-gṛhīta-visṛṣṭeṣu pākhaṇḍeṣu matir nṛṇām
یوں اندر نے وینْیَ (پرتھو) کے یَجْن کو برباد کرنے کی نیت سے گھوڑا چرا لیا، اور اس کے اختیار کیے اور پھیلائے ہوئے پाखنڈ میں لوگوں کی عقل پھنس گئی۔
As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, men in this Age of Kali are short-lived, devoid of spiritual knowledge, and susceptible to accept false religious systems due to their unfortunate condition. Thus they always remain mentally disturbed. The Vedic śāstras practically prohibit the adoption of sannyāsa in the Age of Kali because less intelligent men may accept the sannyāsa order for cheating purposes. Actually the only religion is the religion of surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We must serve the Lord in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All other systems of sannyāsa and religion are actually not bona fide. In this age they are simply passing for religious systems. This is most regrettable.
FAQs
This verse explains that when powerful figures adopt and then abandon misleading religious appearances, people may become attracted to those very heretical paths, causing pākhaṇḍa to spread.
Indra aimed to obstruct (jighāṁsayā) Pṛthu’s yajña, and his actions indirectly led to public fascination with the deceptive practices he displayed.
Judge spirituality by genuine dharma—purity, humility, and devotion—rather than by external dress or dramatic display, since people can be attracted to abandoned, misleading paths.