Shloka 7
देव–विष्णु–संवादः । कालेयगणस्य समुद्राश्रयः । अगस्त्योपसर्पणम्
Devas and Viṣṇu on the Kāleyas; Approach to Agastya
कालकेयोंने सोनेके कवच धारण करके हाथोंमें परिघ लिये देवताओंपर धावा किया। उस समय वे दानव दावानलसे दग्ध हुए पर्वतोंकी भाँति दिखायी देते थे ।। तेषां वेगवतां वेगं साभिमानं प्रधावताम् | न शेकुस्त्रिदशा: सोढुं ते भग्ना: प्राद्रवनू भयात्,अभिमानपूर्वक आक्रमण करनेवाले उन वेगशाली दैत्योंका वेग देवताओंके लिये असहा हो गया। वे अपने दलसे बिछुड़कर भयसे भागने लगे
kālakeyāḥ suvarṇakavaṃcān dhārayitvā hastayoḥ parighān gṛhītvā devatāsv abhidhāvuḥ | tadā te dānavā dāvānaladagdhaśailā iva dṛśyante sma || teṣāṃ vegavatāṃ vegam sābhimānaṃ pradhāvatām | na śekuḥ tridaśāḥ soḍhuṃ te bhagnāḥ prādravan bhayāt ||
The Kālakeya demons, clad in golden cuirasses and gripping iron clubs, charged straight at the gods. In that moment they looked like mountains scorched by a raging forest-fire—terrible, blazing, and unyielding. The gods could not endure the onrush of those swift assailants who advanced with proud arrogance; their ranks broke, and in fear they scattered and fled.
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how abhimāna (arrogant pride) fuels violent aggression, yet such pride also destabilizes order: when confronted by overwhelming force, even powerful groups can break and flee. It implicitly warns that confidence rooted in domination is brittle and ethically suspect.
The Kālakeya dānavas, armored in gold and wielding clubs, launch a fierce charge at the devas. Their momentum is unbearable; the devas’ formation collapses and they flee in fear, while the demons appear like fire-scorched mountains—an image of terrifying, destructive power.