Shloka 26
Adhyāya 61: Saṃmohana-astra and the Kuru Withdrawal (संमोहनास्त्रं तथा कुरुनिवृत्तिः)
अहमिन्द्राद् दृढां मुष्टिं ब्रह्मण: कृतहस्तताम् | प्रगाढे तुमुलं चित्रमिति विद्धि प्रजापते:
aham indrād dṛḍhāṁ muṣṭiṁ brahmaṇaḥ kṛta-hastatām | pragāḍhe tumulaṁ citram iti viddhi prajāpateḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Wisse dies: Von Indra lernte ich, beim Ergreifen des Bogens die Faust fest zu halten; von Brahmā lernte ich die geübte Schnelligkeit und die Meisterschaft der Hand beim Lösen der Pfeile; und von Prajāpati lernte ich die Kunst des Kampfes — mitten in der tiefsten Bedrängnis — mit stürmischen, vielfältigen und erstaunlichen Taktiken. So ist Kriegskunst nicht bloße Gewalt, sondern disziplinierte Schulung unter höheren Vorbildern.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Excellence in warfare is portrayed as disciplined, learned skill: steadiness (firm grip), practiced dexterity (trained hand in archery), and adaptive strategy in crisis. Power is implied to be ethically meaningful only when governed by training and higher principles, not by impulse.
The speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) explains the sources of his martial abilities, attributing specific aspects of archery and battle-craft to divine exemplars—Indra, Brahmā, and Prajāpati—thereby emphasizing legitimacy, training, and preparedness for intense conflict.