Shloka 18
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 13: Śacī’s Delay, Deva-Counsel, and Indra’s Purification
तत्राश्वमेध: सुमहान् महेन्द्रस्य महात्मन: । बवृते पावनार्थ वै ब्रह्म॒ह॒त्यापहो नूप,नरेश्वर! वहाँ महात्मा महेन्द्रकी शुद्धिके लिये एक महान् अश्वमेध-यज्ञका अनुष्ठान हुआ, जो ब्रह्महत्याको दूर करनेवाला था
tatrāśvamedhaḥ sumahān mahendrasya mahātmanaḥ | babhūva pāvanārthaṃ vai brahmahatyāpaho nṛpa naraśvara ||
Tại đó, vì Mahendra (Indra) bậc đại hồn, một lễ Aśvamedha vô cùng trọng đại đã được cử hành để thanh tẩy—một nghi lễ sám tạ được nói là có thể trừ bỏ vết nhơ brahmahatyā (tội sát hại một brāhmaṇa).
नहुष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical-ritual principle central to dharma literature: grave wrongdoing (here, brahmahatyā) demands purification through prescribed expiatory means. Even a powerful deity-king like Indra is portrayed as subject to moral consequence and the need for atonement, underscoring accountability and the restorative role of Vedic rites.
Nahusha recounts that a grand Aśvamedha sacrifice was conducted for Mahendra (Indra) specifically to purify him and to dispel the stain of brahmahatyā. The statement situates a past event—an expiatory royal rite—within Nahusha’s broader narration to a king addressed as ‘nṛpa/naraśvara’.