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Shloka 37

रुद्राक्ष वसवश्चैव मरुतशक्ष महाबला:

vaiśampāyana uvāca | rudrākṣa vasavaś caiva marutaś ca mahābalāḥ | kṛṣṇapārtho jighāṃsantaḥ pratīyur vividhāyudhāḥ ||

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Die Rudras, die Vasus und die mächtigen Maruts—mit vielfältigen Waffen—rückten gegen Kṛṣṇa und Arjuna vor, entschlossen, sie zu töten. Die Szene zeigt, wie selbst erhabene himmlische Mächte, von Feindschaft und Parteizweck fortgerissen, ihre Stärke der Gewalt zuwenden können, und so einen schweren moralischen Konflikt vorbereiten, in dem Macht gegen die Verkörperungen gerechten Entschlusses aufgeboten wird.

रुद्राःthe Rudras
रुद्राः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootरुद्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
वसवःthe Vasus
वसवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवसु
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवindeed/also
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
मरुतःthe Maruts
मरुतः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमरुत्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
महाबलाःmighty/very strong
महाबलाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमहाबल
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
कृष्णपार्थौKrishna and Partha (Arjuna)
कृष्णपार्थौ:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण + पार्थ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Dual
जिघांसन्तःwishing to kill
जिघांसन्तः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootहन् (desiderative: जिघांस्)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural, शतृ (present active participle), Parasmaipada
प्रतीयुःadvanced/went forth (towards)
प्रतीयुः:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + इ (धातु: इ)
FormPerfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada
विविधायुधाःbearing various weapons
विविधायुधाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootविविध + आयुध
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśampāyana
R
Rudras
V
Vasus
M
Maruts
K
Kṛṣṇa
A
Arjuna (Pārtha)
V
various weapons (āyudha)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights that power—even divine power—can be directed by intention; when intention turns toward harm, conflict escalates regardless of status. Ethically, it foregrounds the primacy of right purpose (dharma-aligned intent) over mere might.

A host of deities—the Rudras, Vasus, and Maruts—approach Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, armed with many kinds of weapons, with the explicit aim of killing them, intensifying the confrontation around these two heroes.