Chapter 19
एवमिन्द्रे हरत्यश्वं वैन्ययज्ञजिघांसया । तद्गृहीतविसृष्टेषु पाखण्डेषु मतिर्नृणाम् ॥ २४ ॥ धर्म इत्युपधर्मेषु नग्नरक्तपटादिषु । प्रायेण सज्जते भ्रान्त्या पेशलेषु च वाग्मिषु ॥ २५ ॥
Transliteration
evam indre haraty aśvaṁ vainya-yajña-jighāṁsayā tad-gṛhīta-visṛṣṭeṣu pākhaṇḍeṣu matir nṛṇāmdharma ity upadharmeṣu nagna-rakta-paṭādiṣu prāyeṇa sajjate bhrāntyā peśaleṣu ca vāgmiṣu
Synonyms (Word-for-Word)
evam — thus; indre — when the King of heaven; harati — stole; aśvam — the horse; vainya — of the son of King Vena; yajña — the sacrifice; jighāṁsayā — with a desire to stop; tat — by him; gṛhīta — accepted; visṛṣṭeṣu — abandoned; pākhaṇḍeṣu — towards the sinful dress; matiḥ — attraction; nṛṇām — of the people in general; dharmaḥ — system of religion; iti — thus; upadharmeṣu — towards false religious systems; nagna — naked; rakta-paṭa — red-robed; ādiṣu — etc.; prāyeṇa — generally; sajjate — is attracted; bhrāntyā — foolishly; peśaleṣu — expert; ca — and; vāgmiṣu — eloquent.
Translation
“In this way King Indra, in order to steal the horse from King Pṛthu’s sacrifice, adopted several orders of sannyāsa. Some sannyāsīs go naked, and sometimes they wear red garments and pass under the name of kāpālika. These are simply symbolic representations of their sinful activities. These so-called sannyāsīs are very much appreciated by sinful men because they are all godless atheists and very expert in putting forward arguments and reasons to support their case. We must know, however, that they are only passing as adherents of religion and are not so in fact. Unfortunately, bewildered persons accept them as religious, and being attracted to them, they spoil their life.”