Shloka 4
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 130: Kuntī’s Instruction on Rājadharma and Daṇḍanīti
एवमुक््त्वा जहासोच्चै: केशव: परवीरहा । तस्य संस्मयत: शौरेरविंद्युद्रपा महात्मन:
evam uktvā jahāsa uccaiḥ keśavaḥ paravīrahā | tasya saṃsmayataḥ śaurer avindyudrapā mahātmanaḥ |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having spoken thus, Keśava—slayer of hostile heroes—burst into loud laughter. As that great-souled Śauri laughed in wonder, radiant, lightning-like divine beings of thumb-sized form manifested upon his limbs, flashing forth like tongues of fire—signs of the cosmic powers abiding in him and of the awe his presence inspires amid the approaching war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores Kṛṣṇa’s divine sovereignty: his mere presence and expression (loud laughter) signals irresistible power and the moral gravity of the coming conflict, reminding listeners that dharma is ultimately upheld by a higher cosmic order.
After speaking, Kṛṣṇa (Keśava/Śauri) laughs loudly; the narration frames this as an awe-inspiring, superhuman moment, foreshadowing the overwhelming divine force that will shape the war’s outcome.