Shloka 9
भगदत्तं च राजानं को<न्य: शक्तस्त्वया विना | जेतुं पुरुषशार्टूल योडपि स्थाद् वासवोपम:,'पुरुषसिंह! कोई इन्द्रके समान भी पराक्रमी क्यों न हो, तुम्हारे सिवा दूसरा कौन वीर राजा भगदत्तको जीत सकता था?
bhagadattaṃ ca rājānaṃ ko 'nyaḥ śaktaḥ tvayā vinā | jetuṃ puruṣaśārṭūla yo 'pi syād vāsavopamaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O tiger among men, who else—apart from you—could have been capable of defeating King Bhagadatta, even if that other warrior were as mighty as Vāsava (Indra) himself?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic convention of measuring human heroism against divine standards (Indra/Vāsava) and underscores the rarity of true martial capability: certain feats are portrayed as achievable only by an exceptional warrior, reinforcing ideals of valor and excellence in kṣatriya warfare.
Sañjaya, narrating the battle to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, praises a warrior’s extraordinary ability by saying that only he could defeat King Bhagadatta—so formidable that even an Indra-like fighter would be hard-pressed—thereby emphasizing Bhagadatta’s strength and the victor’s superior prowess.