Shloka 8
Duryodhana-śibira-praveśaḥ — The Pāṇḍavas Enter the Kaurava Camp; The Burning of Arjuna’s Chariot
इन्द्रेणेव हि वृत्रस्य वध॑ परमसंयुगे । त्वया कृतममन्यन्त शत्रोर्वधमिमं जना:
indreṇeva hi vṛtrasya vadhaḥ paramasaṁyuge | tvayā kṛtam amanyanta śatror vadham imaṁ janāḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Dalam bentrokan agung itu, orang-orang memandang pembunuhan yang engkau lakukan sebanding dengan Indra menewaskan Vṛtra—seakan pemusnahan musuh ini bukan sekadar kemenangan, melainkan perbuatan yang luar biasa, nyaris berskala kosmis.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary martial deeds are interpreted through sacred archetypes: a human victory is measured against a cosmic paradigm (Indra’s defeat of Vṛtra), emphasizing reputation, perceived righteousness, and the moral weight society assigns to acts of war.
Sañjaya reports that onlookers, witnessing a decisive killing in a fierce battle, began to speak of it as equal in stature to Indra’s legendary slaying of Vṛtra—thereby magnifying the warrior’s achievement and its impact on the battlefield’s morale and memory.