Shloka 18
इन्द्रस्य दुःखप्राप्तिः—त्रिशिरोवधः, वृत्रोत्पत्तिः, जृम्भिकाजननम्
Indra’s Distress: Slaying of Triśiras, Birth of Vṛtra, and the Origin of Yawning
कृताञ्जलिपुटा: सर्वा देवराजमथाब्रुवन् न स शक्य: सुदुर्थर्षो चैर्याच्चालयितुं प्रभो
kṛtāñjalipuṭāḥ sarvā devarājam athābruvan | na sa śakyaḥ sudurtharṣo cairyāc cālayituṃ prabho ||
With hands joined in reverence, they all addressed the king of the gods: “O Lord, he cannot be moved from his course. He is unassailable and exceedingly hard to overcome; by mere stratagem or ordinary effort he cannot be shaken.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores discernment and humility: when a person is truly formidable and steadfast, one should not rely on mere cunning or casual effort; ethical counsel begins with a realistic assessment of strength and resolve.
Śalya reports that a group, with folded hands, petitions the king of the gods (Indra), declaring that the concerned figure is extremely difficult to subdue and cannot be shaken from his course even by stratagem.