Shloka 62
अध्याय ५८ — वानरध्वजस्य महेन्द्रास्त्रप्रयोगः
Chapter 58: Arjuna’s Deployment of the Indra-Weapon
प्रमाथिनं महावीर्य दृढमुष्टिं दुरासदम् । जेतारं देवदैत्यानां सर्वेषां च महारथम्
pramāthinaṁ mahāvīryaṁ dṛḍhamuṣṭiṁ durāsadam | jetāraṁ devadaityānāṁ sarveṣāṁ ca mahāratham ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : « (Arjuna est) l’écraseur des ennemis, d’une grande puissance héroïque, au poing ferme et inabordable ; vainqueur de tous les dieux et des Dānavas, et grand guerrier de char. » À cet instant, les paroles des dieux, louant Droṇa, retentirent dans le ciel : « Ah ! Droṇācārya a accompli un exploit des plus difficiles, car il est demeuré ferme au combat contre Arjuna si longtemps. Cet Arjuna est un héros qui broie les ennemis, souverainement vaillant, au poing dur, irrésistible, et un mahāratha capable de vaincre même dieux et démons. »
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical ideal of steadfastness in one’s duty: Droṇa’s endurance against an overwhelmingly powerful opponent is praised, and Arjuna’s extraordinary martial excellence is acknowledged without diminishing the merit of disciplined perseverance.
The narrator describes celestial acclaim: the gods’ voices in the sky praise Droṇa for holding his ground against Arjuna, while simultaneously extolling Arjuna as an almost unsurpassable mahāratha who can defeat even gods and Daityas.