Shloka 20
अध्याय २८१ — दानधर्मः, न्यायागतधनम्, ऋणत्रय-परिशोधनं च
Dāna ethics, lawful wealth, and settling obligations
न चाशकत् तां देवेन्द्रो ब्रह्मवध्यां व्यपोहितुम् । देवेन्द्रने उसके निवारणके लिये महान् प्रयत्न किया; परंतु किसी तरह भी वे उसे दूर न कर सके ।। गृहीत एव तु तया देवेन्द्रो भरतर्षभ
na cāśakat tāṁ devendro brahmavadhyāṁ vyapohitum | gṛhīta eva tu tayā devendro bharatarṣabha ||
毗湿摩说道：“即便天帝因陀罗（Devendra）也无法驱逐那‘弑婆罗门之罪’。纵然诸神之主竭尽全力欲以拒却，它也无法以任何方式被除去；相反，他仍被其所执——噢，婆罗多族中的雄牛。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that certain grave violations of dharma—especially brahma-hatyā—carry consequences that cannot be erased merely by status or power. Even Indra cannot simply ‘push away’ the moral taint; ethical causality demands accountability and, where possible, proper expiation.
Bhīṣma, instructing Yudhiṣṭhira in Śānti Parva, cites Indra as an example: Indra attempts to remove the taint of brahma-hatyā but fails, remaining ‘seized’ by it. The narrative functions as a cautionary illustration within Bhīṣma’s discourse on dharma and the weight of wrongdoing.