Shloka 24
Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 58 — Saṃjaya’s Audience and Kṛṣṇa’s Deterrent Counsel (संजय-प्रवेशः कृष्णवाक्यं च)
मदद्वितीयं पुनः पार्थ कः प्रार्थयितुमिच्छति । यो न कालपरीतो वाप्यपि साक्षात् पुरंदर:,“जिसको कालने सब ओरसे घेर न लिया हो, ऐसा कौन पुरुष, भले ही वह साक्षात् इन्द्र ही क्यों न हो, उस अर्जुनके साथ युद्ध करना चाहता है, जिसका सहायक दूसरा मैं हूँ
mad-dvitīyaṁ punaḥ pārtha kaḥ prārthayitum icchati | yo na kāla-parīto vāpy api sākṣāt purandaraḥ ||
Vāyu said: “O Pārtha, when I stand as your second, who would still wish to challenge you? Who—unless already hemmed in by Time’s decree—would desire to fight Arjuna, even if he were Purandara (Indra) himself?”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that when righteous strength is backed by divine support, opposition becomes futile; only one driven by Kāla (destiny/death) would choose such a confrontation. It frames war not merely as human contest but as morally and cosmically conditioned.
Vāyu speaks in praise of Arjuna’s invincibility, declaring that with Vāyu as his ally, no sensible warrior—even Indra—would wish to fight him unless compelled by the overpowering force of Time (Kāla).