Shloka 24
Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 58 — Saṃjaya’s Audience and Kṛṣṇa’s Deterrent Counsel (संजय-प्रवेशः कृष्णवाक्यं च)
मदद्वितीयं पुनः पार्थ कः प्रार्थयितुमिच्छति । यो न कालपरीतो वाप्यपि साक्षात् पुरंदर:
mad-dvitīyaṁ punaḥ pārtha kaḥ prārthayitum icchati | yo na kāla-parīto vāpy api sākṣāt purandaraḥ ||
Vāyu sprach: „O Pārtha, wenn ich als dein Zweiter an deiner Seite stehe, wer wollte dich dann noch herausfordern? Wer — es sei denn, er wäre bereits vom Spruch der Zeit umzingelt — begehrte gegen Arjuna zu kämpfen, selbst wenn er Purandara (Indra) persönlich wäre?“
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that when righteous strength is backed by divine support, opposition becomes futile; only one driven by Kāla (destiny/death) would choose such a confrontation. It frames war not merely as human contest but as morally and cosmically conditioned.
Vāyu speaks in praise of Arjuna’s invincibility, declaring that with Vāyu as his ally, no sensible warrior—even Indra—would wish to fight him unless compelled by the overpowering force of Time (Kāla).