Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 28
Adhyāya 55: Pārtha–Rādheya Saṃvāda and Tactical Exchange
Chapter 55
नूनं पार्थजयैषित्वाच्छक्र: सर्वामरै: सह | हन्त्यस्मानित्यमन्यन्त पार्थेन निहता: परे
nūnaṃ pārthajayaiṣitvāc chakraḥ sarvāmaraiḥ saha | hanty asmān ity amanyanta pārthena nihatāḥ pare ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Struck down by Pārtha (Arjuna), the opposing warriors imagined, “Surely Śakra (Indra), together with all the gods, is slaying us”—so overwhelming did Arjuna’s victory-seeking prowess appear to them. The passage underscores how extraordinary martial excellence, when aligned with a righteous cause, is perceived as almost divine in force.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Exceptional prowess in a dharmic struggle can appear ‘divine’ to onlookers; the verse highlights how human excellence, when rightly directed, inspires awe and is interpreted as the working of higher powers.
After being struck down by Arjuna’s arrows, the enemy soldiers believe that Indra himself, accompanied by the gods, must be killing them—such is the terror and magnificence of Arjuna’s onslaught.