Shloka 26
Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana
Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues
असुरराज! अब तो मैं तुम्हारे पास न तो सोनेकी झारी, न छत्र और न चँवर ही देखता हूँ तथा ब्रह्माजीकी दी हुई वह दिव्य माला भी तुम्हारे गलेमें नहीं दिखायी देती है ।।
asurarāja! adya tvāṃ prati na suvarṇa-śarāvaṃ na chatraṃ na ca vyajane paśyāmi, brahmadattā sā divyā mālāpi tava kaṇṭhe na dṛśyate. (bhīṣma uvāca) tataḥ prahasya sa balir vāsavena samīritam | niśamya bhāva-gambhīraṃ surarājam athābravīt || (baliḥ uvāca) aho hi tava bāliśyam iha deva-gaṇādhipa | ayuktaṃ devarājasya tava kaṣṭam idaṃ vacaḥ || na tvaṃ paśyasi bhūjāraṃ na chatraṃ vyajane na ca | brahmadattāṃ ca me mālāṃ na tvaṃ drakṣyasi vāsava ||
因陀罗说道：“噫，阿修罗之王！如今我不见你有金器，不见华盖，不见拂扇；连梵天所赐的天鬘，也不见在你颈上。” 毗湿摩说道：听了因陀罗这番沉重而尖刻的话，巴厘王大笑起来，遂对天帝如此答道： 巴厘说道：“哎呀，诸神军众之主啊，你在此处显出的愚昧，真令人惊异！你乃诸天之王，说出这等刻薄之言、以苦痛加诸他人，实不相称。婆娑婆（因陀罗）啊，如今你将不再得见我的金器、我的华盖、我的拂扇，甚至连梵天赐予我的花鬘，你也无从得见。”
(भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a powerful ruler must restrain speech: harsh, humiliating words are ethically improper, especially for one who claims dharmic authority. True nobility is shown in self-control and compassion, not in gloating over another’s loss of status.
Indra remarks that Bali no longer possesses or displays royal emblems (golden vessel, parasol, fans, Brahmā’s garland). Bali laughs and rebukes Indra, saying such painful speech is unworthy of the king of gods, and declares that Indra will not see those insignia now—highlighting the reversal of fortune and the moral fault in Indra’s taunting.