Shloka 18
तस्य तद् वचन श्रुत्वा सोमदत्तस्य पार्थिव । (सशिर:कम्पमाहेदं नैतदेवं भवेन्नूप । स पूर्वमेव तपसा मामाराध्य जगत्त्रये ।। कस्याप्यवध्यता मत्तः प्राप्तवान् वरमुत्तमम् । तवाप्ययं प्रयासस्तु निष्फलो न भविष्यति ।। तस्य पौत्रं तु समरे त्वत्पुत्रो मोहयिष्यति । न तु मारयितुं शक््य: कृष्णसंरक्षितो हासौ ।। अहमेव तु कृष्णो5स्मि नावयोरन्तरं क्वचित् ।) एवमस्त्विति तत्रोक्त्वा स देवो5न्तरधीयत,राजन! सोमदत्तका यह कथन सुनकर महादेवजीने सिर हिलाकर कहा--'नहीं, ऐसा नहीं हो सकता। नरेश्वर! शिनिके पुत्रने तो पहले ही तपस्याद्वारा मेरी आराधना करके तीनों लोकोंमें किसीसे भी न मारे जानेका उत्तम वर मुझसे प्राप्त कर लिया है; परंतु तुम्हारा भी यह प्रयास निष्फल नहीं होगा। तुम्हारा पुत्र समरभूमिमें शिनिके पौत्रको तुम्हारी इच्छाके अनुसार मूर्च्छित कर देगा, परंतु उसके हाथसे वह मारा नहीं जा सकेगा; क्योंकि श्रीकृष्णसे वह सुरक्षित होगा। मैं ही श्रीकृष्ण हूँ। हम दोनोंमें कहीं कोई अन्तर नहीं है। जाओ, ऐसा ही होगा।' ऐसा कहकर महादेवजी वहीं अन्तर्धान हो गये
sañjaya uvāca |
tasya tad vacanaṁ śrutvā somadattasya pārthiva |
(saśiraḥ-kampam āhedaṁ naitad evaṁ bhaven nṛpa |
sa pūrvam eva tapasā mām ārādhya jagat-traye |
kasyāpy avadhyatā mattaḥ prāptavān varam uttamam |
tavāpy ayaṁ prayāsas tu niṣphalo na bhaviṣyati |
tasya pautraṁ tu samare tvat-putro mohayīṣyati |
a na tu mārayituṁ śakyaḥ kṛṣṇa-saṁrakṣito hy asau |
aham eva tu kṛṣṇo 'smi nāvayor antaraṁ kvacit |)
evam astv iti tatrok tvā sa devo 'ntaradhīyata rājān |
Sañjaya said: Hearing Somadatta’s words, the lord (Mahādeva) shook his head and replied, “No, O king, it cannot be so. The son of Śini had earlier worshiped me through austerity and obtained from me the supreme boon of inviolability in the three worlds—he cannot be slain by anyone. Yet your effort will not be fruitless: in battle your son will, as you desire, cause Śini’s grandson to fall into a swoon; but he will not be able to kill him, for he is protected by Kṛṣṇa. Indeed, I myself am Kṛṣṇa; there is no difference between us at any time.” Having said, “So be it,” that god vanished there, O king.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Austerity and devotion can yield binding divine boons that even gods will not overturn; human plans must operate within those limits. At the same time, divine protection (here identified with Kṛṣṇa, and non-different from Śiva) safeguards the devotee, showing that power in war is ultimately subordinate to dharma-shaped divine order.
Somadatta seeks a result against Śini’s line, but Mahādeva refuses the possibility of killing Śini’s grandson because Śini’s son had already obtained an ‘unslayable’ boon. Mahādeva grants a limited outcome instead: Somadatta’s son will make the opponent faint in battle, yet cannot kill him due to Kṛṣṇa’s protection; then Mahādeva declares his identity with Kṛṣṇa and disappears.