Shloka 185
समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः
Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī
निवातकवचैघररिर्दानवै: सुरशत्रुभि: । पौलोमै: कालकेयैश्व यत्र युद्ध किरीटिन:,वहाँ देवताओंके शत्रु भयंकर दानव निवातकवच, पौलोम और कालकेयोंके साथ अर्जुनने जैसा युद्ध किया और जिस प्रकार उन सबका वध हुआ था, वह सब बुद्धिमान् अर्जुनने स्वयं राजा युधिष्ठिरको सुनाया। इसके बाद अर्जुनने धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरके पास अपने अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंका प्रदर्शन करना चाहा
nivātakavacair ghorair dānavaiḥ suraśatrubhiḥ | paulomaiḥ kālakeyaiś ca yatra yuddhaṃ kirīṭinaḥ ||
Rāma said: “There, the Diademed one (Arjuna) fought a fierce battle against the dreadful Dānavas—enemies of the gods—namely the Nivātakavacas, the Paulomas, and the Kālakeyas.”
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames righteous warfare as the defense of cosmic and social order: when destructive forces oppose the gods (symbols of order), the kṣatriya-hero’s duty is to confront them with courage and restraint, aligning personal valor with dharma.
Rāma refers to a specific episode ‘where’ Arjuna (Kirīṭin) fought the fearsome Dānavas—Nivātakavacas, Paulomas, and Kālakeyas—highlighting Arjuna’s martial prowess in a battle against enemies of the gods.