तक्षोवाच
महास्कन्धो भृशं ह्य् एष परशुर् न तरिष्यति ॥
कर्तुं चाहं न शक्ष्यामि कर्म सद्भिर् विगर्हितम् ॥
इन्द्र उवाच
मा भैस् त्वं क्षिप्रम् एतद् वै कुरुष्व वचनं मम ॥
मत्प्रसादाद् धि ते शस्त्रं वज्रकल्पं भविष्यति ॥
तक्षोवाच
कं भवन्तम् अहं विद्यां घोरकर्माणम् अद्य वै ॥
एतद् इच्छाम्य् अहं श्रोतुं तत्त्वेन कथयस्व मे ॥
इन्द्र उवाच
अहम् इन्द्रो देवराजस् तक्षन् विदितम् अस्तु ते ॥
कुरुष्वैतद् यथोक्तं मे तक्षन् मा त्वं विचारय ॥
तक्षोवाच
क्रूरेण नापत्रपसे कथं शक्रेह कर्मणा ॥
ऋषिपुत्रम् इमं हत्वा ब्रह्महत्याभयं न ते ॥
takṣovāca
mahāskandho bhṛśaṃ hy eṣa paraśur na tariṣyati ||
kartuṃ cāhaṃ na śakṣyāmi karma sadbhir vigarhitam ||
indra uvāca
mā bhais tvaṃ kṣipram etad vai kuruṣva vacanaṃ mama ||
matprasādād dhi te śastraṃ vajrakalpaṃ bhaviṣyati ||
takṣovāca
kaṃ bhavantam ahaṃ vidyāṃ ghorakarmāṇam adya vai ||
etad icchāmy ahaṃ śrotuṃ tattvena kathayasva me ||
indra uvāca
aham indro devarājas takṣan viditam astu te ||
kuruṣvaitad yathoktaṃ me takṣan mā tvaṃ vicāraya ||
takṣovāca
krūreṇa nāpatrapase kathaṃ śakreha karmaṇā ||
ṛṣiputram imaṃ hatvā brahmahatyābhayaṃ na te ||
And Indra, lord of Shachi, being afraid, saw a carpenter who had come there by chance. And the chastiser of Paka said to him at once: 'Do this at my command. Quickly cut off this being's heads.' To this the carpenter said: 'His shoulders are broad; this axe will not be able to cut through them. Nor shall I be able to do what is condemned by the righteous.' And Indra said: 'Do not be afraid; quickly do as I say. By my command your axe shall become equal to a stroke of the thunderbolt.' The carpenter said: 'For whom am I to take you, who have committed this terrible deed today? This is what I wish to know — tell me the exact truth.' And Indra said: 'O carpenter, I am Indra, chief of the gods. Let this be known to you. Act as I have told you. Do not hesitate, O carpenter!' The carpenter said: 'O Indra, how is it that you do not feel shame at this inhuman deed of yours? How is it that you do not fear the sin of brahmin-slaying, having killed this son of a holy sage?'
eb3fac963538 · published Jul 17, 2026, 3:22:51 AM UTC
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The passage 5.9.26-30 develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace is already underway against the backdrop of an inevitable war. Dharma is revealed here through speech, the choice of envoys, fidelity to promises, and the responsibility of kings for the consequences of their decisions.