Shloka 24
Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 58 — Saṃjaya’s Audience and Kṛṣṇa’s Deterrent Counsel (संजय-प्रवेशः कृष्णवाक्यं च)
मदद्वितीयं पुनः पार्थ कः प्रार्थयितुमिच्छति । यो न कालपरीतो वाप्यपि साक्षात् पुरंदर:
mad-dvitīyaṁ punaḥ pārtha kaḥ prārthayitum icchati | yo na kāla-parīto vāpy api sākṣāt purandaraḥ ||
Dijo Vāyu: «¡Oh Pārtha! Si yo permanezco como tu segundo, ¿quién querría aún desafiarte? ¿Quién—salvo aquel a quien el Tiempo ya ha cercado por decreto—desearía combatir con Arjuna, aunque fuese el propio Purandara (Indra)?»
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that when righteous strength is backed by divine support, opposition becomes futile; only one driven by Kāla (destiny/death) would choose such a confrontation. It frames war not merely as human contest but as morally and cosmically conditioned.
Vāyu speaks in praise of Arjuna’s invincibility, declaring that with Vāyu as his ally, no sensible warrior—even Indra—would wish to fight him unless compelled by the overpowering force of Time (Kāla).