Shloka 8
Duryodhana-śibira-praveśaḥ — The Pāṇḍavas Enter the Kaurava Camp; The Burning of Arjuna’s Chariot
इन्द्रेणेव हि वृत्रस्य वध॑ परमसंयुगे । त्वया कृतममन्यन्त शत्रोर्वधमिमं जना:,“जैसे महासमरमें इन्द्रने वृत्रासुरका वध किया था, आपके द्वारा किया हुआ यह शत्रुका संहार भी उसी कोटिका है--ऐसा सब लोग समझने लगे हैं
indreṇeva hi vṛtrasya vadhaḥ paramasaṁyuge | tvayā kṛtam amanyanta śatror vadham imaṁ janāḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: „In jenem höchsten Waffengang begannen die Menschen die von dir vollbrachte Tötung der Indras Erschlagung Vṛtras gleichzusetzen—sie sahen in der Vernichtung dieses Feindes nicht bloß einen Sieg, sondern eine außerordentliche Tat, fast von kosmischem Ausmaß.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary martial deeds are interpreted through sacred archetypes: a human victory is measured against a cosmic paradigm (Indra’s defeat of Vṛtra), emphasizing reputation, perceived righteousness, and the moral weight society assigns to acts of war.
Sañjaya reports that onlookers, witnessing a decisive killing in a fierce battle, began to speak of it as equal in stature to Indra’s legendary slaying of Vṛtra—thereby magnifying the warrior’s achievement and its impact on the battlefield’s morale and memory.