नैव शेकुस्तदंगेषु प्रहर्तुं यत्नमास्थिताः । भक्ष्यंते केवलं तेन शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः
naiva śekustadaṃgeṣu prahartuṃ yatnamāsthitāḥ | bhakṣyaṃte kevalaṃ tena śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ
„So sehr sie sich auch mühten, sie vermochten keines seiner Glieder zu treffen; vielmehr wurden sie von ihm schlicht verschlungen — zu Hunderten und dann zu Tausenden.“
Sūta
Listener: Ṛṣis (implied)
Scene: Despite their efforts, the gods cannot wound the being; it devours them in vast numbers—an overwhelming scene of helplessness and terror.
When brute force fails against fortified adharma, refuge in higher wisdom and rightful authority becomes necessary.
This is still part of the Vāstupada Tīrtha legend; the site’s later worship is framed as a remedy to such peril.
None; the verse depicts the failure of weapons and the ensuing danger.