Shloka 8

Devanagari script

देवा ऊचु अस्मत्तेजोबलं यावत्‌ तावदद्विगुणमाहवे । तेषामिति हि मन्यामो दृष्टतेजोबला हि ते,देवता बोले--प्रभो! युद्धमें हमलोगोंका जितना भी तेज और बल है, उससे दूना उन दैत्योंका है, ऐसा हम मानते हैं; क्योंकि उनके तेज और बलको हमने देख लिया है

Transliteration

devā ūcuḥ asmat-tejo-balaṁ yāvat tāvad adviguṇam āhave | teṣām iti hi manyāmo dṛṣṭa-tejo-balā hi te ||

Translation

The gods said: “In battle, whatever measure of radiance and strength we possess, the Daityas have twice that. This is what we judge, for we have directly witnessed their might and splendor.”

Word by Word

देवाःthe gods

ऊचुःsaid

अस्मत्of us / our

तेजःsplendor, power

बलम्strength

यावत्as much as

तावत्so much / to that extent

द्विगुणम्twofold, double

आहवेin battle

तेषाम्of them

इतिthus

हिindeed, for

मन्यामःwe think / consider

दृष्टseen, observed

तेजःsplendor, power

बलाःstrong (ones) / possessing strength

हिindeed, for

तेthey

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

द

देवाः (the gods)

द

दैत्याः (the Daityas/demons)

आ

आहव (battle)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power should be assessed realistically rather than assumed; even divine beings acknowledge superior force when evidence is clear, implying the ethical value of truthful appraisal and strategic humility.

What is happening in the narrative?

The gods speak about a combat situation, stating that the Daityas possess double the gods’ own radiance and strength, based on what the gods have personally observed.