Shloka 58
अध्याय २८१ — दानधर्मः, न्यायागतधनम्, ऋणत्रय-परिशोधनं च
Dāna ethics, lawful wealth, and settling obligations
श्रूयते च महाराज सम्प्राप्ता वासवेन वै । ब्रह्म॒वध्या ततः शुद्धि हयमेधेन लब्धवान्,महाराज! सुननेमें आता है कि इन्द्रको जो ब्रह्महत्या लगी थी, उससे उन्होंने अश्वमेध यज्ञ करके ही शुद्धि लाभ की थी
śrūyate ca mahārāja samprāptā vāsavena vai | brahma-vadhyā tataḥ śuddhiṃ hayamedhena labdhavān ||
毗湿摩说道：“也有人传闻，噢，大王，婆娑婆（因陀罗）染上了杀婆罗门之垢（brahma-hatyā）；其后他通过举行阿湿婆美陀祭（Aśvamedha）而得以净化。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a dharmic precedent: even the powerful are not beyond moral consequence, and grave wrongdoing (brahma-hatyā) is met with prescribed expiation; purification is portrayed as attainable through sanctioned atonement (here, the Aśvamedha).
Bhīṣma, instructing the king, cites a traditional report about Indra: after incurring brahma-hatyā, Indra is said to have regained purity by performing the Aśvamedha sacrifice, supporting Bhīṣma’s broader discourse on dharma and expiatory rites.