Shloka 10
कर्णेन युधिष्ठिरानीकविदारणम् / Karṇa’s Breach of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Battle-Line
देवा ऊचु बिभर्तु भवतो<र्ध तु न शक्ष्यामो महेश्वर । सर्वेषां नो बलार्धेन त्वमेव जहि शात्रवान्,देवताओंने कहा--महेश्वर! हम आपका आधा बल धारण नहीं कर सकते; अत: आप ही हम सब लोगोंके आधे बलसे युक्त हो शत्रुओंका वध कीजिये
devā ūcuḥ: bibhartu bhavato 'rdhaṃ tu na śakṣyāmo maheśvara | sarveṣāṃ no balārdhena tvam eva jahi śātravān ||
The gods said: “Maheśvara, we are not able to bear even half of your power. Therefore, you alone—endowed with half of the combined strength of us all—should strike down the foes.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even divine beings recognize limits in sustaining immense power; ethical action in conflict requires that force be wielded by the one capable of bearing it responsibly, so that order is preserved and harm is not multiplied by incompetence.
The gods address Maheśvara (Śiva), admitting they cannot contain even half of his might; they ask him to act alone, empowered by half of their collective strength, to destroy the enemies.