Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अभ्यद्रवन्त देवांस्ते सहस्नाणि दशैव हि । ततस्तैरदिता देवा: शरणं वासवं ययु:,'फिर सरोवरके जलको सौ योजन ऊँचे उछालते तथा हाथमें महाघोर पर्वत, परिघ एवं वृक्ष लिये हुए वे देवताओंपर टूट पड़ते थे। उन दानवोंकी संख्या दस हजारकी थी। जब उन्होंने देवताओंको अच्छी तरह पीड़ित किया, तब वे भागकर इन्द्रकी शरणमें गये

Transliteration

abhyadravant devāṁs te sahasrāṇi daśaiva hi | tatas tair aditā devāḥ śaraṇaṁ vāsavaṁ yayuḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: Those assailants charged at the gods—indeed, they were ten thousand in number. Harassed and overwhelmed by them, the gods, sorely afflicted, fled and sought refuge with Vāsava (Indra). The episode underscores a recurrent Mahābhārata ethic: when power is misused to torment others, the afflicted seek rightful protection, and leadership is tested by its duty to shelter and restore order.

Word by Word

• {'abhyadravant': 'they rushed upon, charged at (violent advance)', 'devān': 'the gods, devas (celestial beings)', 'te': 'they, those (referring to the attackers)', 'sahasrāṇi': 'thousands', 'daśa': 'ten', 'eva': 'indeed, precisely', 'hi': 'for, indeed (emphatic particle)', 'tatas': 'then, thereafter', 'taiḥ': 'by them (instrumental plural)', 'aditāḥ': 'afflicted, tormented, distressed', 'devāḥ': 'the gods (subject)', 'śaraṇam': 'refuge, protection, shelter', 'vāsavam': 'Vāsava, Indra (lord of the Vasus

• epithet of Indra)', 'yayuḥ': 'they went, they resorted to (perfect/preterite plural)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Devas (gods)
• Vāsava (Indra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When the righteous are oppressed, seeking śaraṇa (refuge) with a rightful protector is appropriate; the protector’s dharma is to provide shelter and re-establish order against unjust aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

A host numbering ten thousand attacks the devas; the devas are badly afflicted and, unable to withstand the assault, flee to Vāsava (Indra) for protection.