Shloka 34
कुमाराभिषेकप्रश्नः — Inquiry into Kumāra (Skanda) Investiture at Sarasvatī
नमुचिर्वासवाद् भीत: सूर्यरश्मिं समाविशत्
namucir vāsavād bhītaḥ sūryaraśmiṁ samāviśat | vadhiṣyāmy asuraśreṣṭha sakhe satyena te śape ||
毗舍波耶那说道：那牟支惧怕婆娑婆（因陀罗），便遁入日轮的光线之中。因陀罗遂与他结为友盟，并以真实起誓：“阿修罗中之最者，我的朋友，我不以湿器杀你，也不以干器杀你；不在白昼，也不在黑夜。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical tension between the sanctity of an oath (satya) and the possibility of manipulating its wording. It invites reflection on whether righteousness lies in merely keeping the literal terms of a vow or in honoring its intended moral spirit.
Namuci, fearing Indra, hides by merging into the sun’s rays. Indra then befriends him and swears a protective-sounding promise—he will not kill Namuci with wet or dry weapons, nor in day or night—creating an apparent safeguard that later becomes a setup for a loophole-based killing.