Shloka 3
Chapter 40: Śiva in Kirāta Disguise Tests Arjuna
Mūka-vadha and the Contest
शक्राभिषेके सुमहद्धनुर्जलदनि:स्वनम् । प्रगृह् दानवा: शस्तास्त्वया कृष्णेन च प्रभो,प्रभो! तुमने और श्रीकृष्णने इन्द्रके अभिषेकके समय मेघके समान गम्भीर घोष करनेवाले महान् धनुषको हाथमें लेकर बहुत-से दानवोंका वध किया था
śakrābhiṣeke sumahad dhanur jaladaniḥsvanam | pragṛhya dānavāḥ śastās tvayā kṛṣṇena ca prabho prabho ||
At the consecration of Śakra (Indra), you—together with Kṛṣṇa—took up a mighty bow whose roar was like thunderclouds, and you struck down many Dānavas.
देवदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and weaponry are portrayed as dharmic when employed to uphold rightful cosmic and social order—here, defending Indra’s consecration against disruptive forces (the Dānavas).
The speaker recalls an earlier episode: during Indra’s anointing, the addressed hero, alongside Kṛṣṇa, seized a great thunder-sounding bow and killed many Dānavas, emphasizing their past service to the gods.