Shloka 5
Yuddha-yajña-vyākhyāna (The Battle as Sacrifice): Ambarīṣa–Indra Saṃvāda
स दृष्टवोपरि गच्छन्तं सेनापतिमुदारधी: । ऋद्धि दृष्टवा सुदेवस्य विस्मित: प्राह वासवम्
sa dṛṣṭvopari gacchantaṃ senāpatim udāradḥīḥ | ṛddhiṃ dṛṣṭvā sudevasya vismitaḥ prāha vāsavam ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Voyant son commandant au noble esprit s’élever au-dessus de lui, et contemplant l’extraordinaire prospérité et l’éclat obtenus par Sudeva, le roi Ambarīṣa, stupéfait et plein d’émerveillement, s’adressa à Vāsava (Indra).»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that genuine eminence is not merely social position but can be revealed through visible signs of merit and divine sanction; witnessing another’s superior ascent provokes inquiry into the ethical and spiritual causes behind such prosperity.
A king (as reflected in the accompanying narrative context) sees a commander moving above him in a radiant divine conveyance and, amazed at Sudeva’s extraordinary fortune, turns to Indra (Vāsava) to ask or comment on what he has witnessed.