Shloka 55
स्वर्गगमनम्, अदितिस्तुतिः-मायातत्त्वम्, तथा पारिजात-प्रसङ्गे इन्द्रयुद्धम्
ततो दिशो नभश् चैव दृष्ट्वा शरशताचितम् मुमुचुस् त्रिदशाः सर्वे अस्त्रशस्त्राण्य् अनेकशः
tato diśo nabhaś caiva dṛṣṭvā śaraśatācitam mumucus tridaśāḥ sarve astraśastrāṇy anekaśaḥ
Then, seeing the quarters of space—and the very sky—crowded thick with hundreds of arrows, all the gods (the Thirty-three) in turn unleashed, again and again, a multitude of weapons and missiles.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Krishna withstands the deva-hosts’ counterattack, demonstrating that even the Thirty-three cannot overpower him.
Leela: Yuddha
Dharma Restored: Establishing the rightful hierarchy: devas as servants, not rivals, of the Supreme
Vishnu Form: Hari
FAQs
It depicts a decisive escalation of divine intervention—when cosmic balance is threatened, the gods collectively act, showing that order is upheld under a higher providential rule.
He frames it cosmically: not only the battlefield but the directions and sky are described as saturated with arrows, emphasizing the scale and inevitability of the confrontation.
The gods’ coordinated action functions within the Purāṇic worldview where Vishnu is the supreme regulator of dharma—divine forces operate as instruments of that overarching sovereignty.