नैव शेकुस्तदंगेषु प्रहर्तुं यत्नमास्थिताः । भक्ष्यंते केवलं तेन शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः
naiva śekustadaṃgeṣu prahartuṃ yatnamāsthitāḥ | bhakṣyaṃte kevalaṃ tena śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ
«Bien qu’ils s’y efforçassent, ils ne purent frapper aucun de ses membres ; au contraire, ils furent simplement dévorés par lui, par centaines puis par milliers.»
Sūta
Listener: Ṛṣis (implied)
Scene: Despite their efforts, the gods cannot wound the being; it devours them in vast numbers—an overwhelming scene of helplessness and terror.
When brute force fails against fortified adharma, refuge in higher wisdom and rightful authority becomes necessary.
This is still part of the Vāstupada Tīrtha legend; the site’s later worship is framed as a remedy to such peril.
None; the verse depicts the failure of weapons and the ensuing danger.