Shloka 28
Kubera-prasāda-vihāra and Counsel on Ajñātavāsa (कुबेरप्रसादविहारः तथा अज्ञातवासोपदेशः)
मातलिर्वाच आसीदिदं पुरा पार्थ देवराजस्य न: पुरम् ततो निवातकवचैरित: प्रच्याविता: सुरा:,मातलि बोले--पार्थ! पूर्वकालमें यह नगर हमारे देवराजके ही अधिकारमें था। फिर निवातकवचोंने आकर देवताओंको यहाँसे निकाल दिया
mātalir uvāca—āsīd idaṃ purā pārtha devarājasya naḥ puram | tato nivātakavacair itaḥ pracyāvitāḥ surāḥ ||
Mātali said: “O Pārtha, in former times this city belonged to our lord, the king of the gods. Later, the Nivātakavacas came here and drove the gods out from this place.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames conflict in terms of rightful stewardship and the disruption of cosmic order: even divine realms can be seized by hostile forces, implying the ethical necessity of restoring rightful rule and protecting the community from unjust aggression.
Mātali explains to Arjuna that the city they are concerned with once belonged to Indra, but the Nivātakavacas attacked and expelled the gods from it, setting up the background for a campaign of recovery and reestablishment of divine authority.