Shloka 17
रत्नैः स्त्रीभिस्तथा गोभिर्धनैर्बहुविधैरपि । निदर्शनैश्व बहुभि: कुण्डलेप्सु: पुरन्दर:,“नाना प्रकारके रत्न, स्त्री, गो, भाँति-भाँतिके धन देकर तथा बहुत-से दृष्टन्तोंद्वारा बहलाकर कुण्डलार्थी इन्द्रको टालनेका प्रयत्न करना
ratnaiḥ strībhiḥ tathā gobhir dhanair bahuvidhair api | nidarśanaiś ca bahubhiḥ kuṇḍalepsuḥ purandaraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana nói: “Bằng châu báu, bằng nữ nhân, bằng bò đàn, và bằng muôn thứ tài vật khác nữa—lại còn bằng vô số thí dụ và mồi nhử—Purandara (Indra), kẻ khát khao đôi khuyên tai, đã tìm cách thuyết phục để làm chệch đi món quà định trao.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how desire can drive even a powerful deity to use wealth and persuasive reasoning to influence another’s resolve. Ethically, it frames a tension between steadfastness in giving (dāna) and attempts to divert or manipulate that virtue through inducements.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Indra (Purandara), intent on obtaining the earrings, tries to dissuade the intended act by offering jewels, women, cattle, and various riches, and by presenting many persuasive examples—seeking to redirect the outcome in his favor.