Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 53: Arjuna’s Jayadratha-vadha Pratijñā and Droṇa’s Protective Vyūha (शकटा-पद्म व्यूहः)
सा निःसृत्य तथा खेभ्यो दक्षिणां दिशमाश्रिता । स्मयमाना च सावेक्ष्य देवी विश्वेश्वरावुभी,वह उनकी इन्द्रियोंसे निकलकर दक्षिण दिशामें खड़ी हुई और उन दोनों देवताओं एवं जगदीश्वरोंकी ओर देखकर मन्द-मन्द मुसकराने लगी
sā niḥsṛtya tathā khebhyo dakṣiṇāṃ diśam āśritā | smayamānā ca sāvekṣya devī viśveśvarāv ubhī ||
Setelah muncul demikian, Sang Dewi berdiri menghadap arah selatan. Dengan senyum lembut ia memandang kedua dewa itu—para penguasa jagat raya.
नारद उवाच
The verse underscores the supremacy and autonomy of divine śakti: the Goddess is not constrained by others’ faculties or powers, and her composed smile suggests mastery, intentionality, and the unfolding of destiny beyond ordinary control.
Nārada describes the Goddess emerging from the deities’ senses and moving to the southern quarter, then smiling and looking back at both ‘lords of the universe,’ a gesture that reads as a portent and a decisive shift in the scene’s power-dynamics.