Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 31
Adhyāya 61: Saṃmohana-astra and the Kuru Withdrawal (संमोहनास्त्रं तथा कुरुनिवृत्तिः)
'जैसे व्याध घोंसलेमें बैठे हुए पक्षियोंको भी मार गिराता है
roudre rudrād ahaṁ hūstraṁ vāruṇaṁ varuṇād api | astram āgneyam agneś ca vāyavyaṁ mātariśvanaḥ | vajrādīni tathāstrāṇi śakrād aham avāptavān ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Er erklärte, er werde die Helden der Kauravas von ihren Wagen herabstürzen lassen, so mühelos wie ein Jäger Vögel im Nest niederstreckt; und dass—wie Indra, der Donnerkeilträger, allein die Scharen der Dämonen vernichtet—auch er, kampfbereit aufgestellt, im Alleingang den Untergang der versammelten mächtigen Krieger herbeiführen werde. Dann bekräftigte er die Herkunft seiner Waffenmacht: von Rudra habe er die furchtbare Raudra-Waffe empfangen; von Varuṇa die Varuṇa-Waffe; von Agni die Agneya-Waffe; von Vāyu (Mātariśvan) die Vāyavya-Waffe; und von Śakra (Indra) den Donnerkeil und andere göttliche Geschosse.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that extraordinary power (divine astras) is not merely personal strength but a sanctioned, learned capability tied to cosmic authorities (Rudra, Varuṇa, Agni, Vāyu, Indra). Ethically, it implies that such power should be exercised with disciplined readiness and within the accepted moral framework of battle, since its destructive capacity is immense.
A warrior proclaims confidence that he can single-handedly defeat the Kaurava champions, comparing his effectiveness to a hunter felling birds and to Indra destroying demons. He then lists the divine weapons he has received from major deities, establishing his legitimacy and terrifying battlefield capability.