Shloka 33

Devanagari script

समर्थ: स महाबाहुरेको5पि सुमहाबल: देवराजमपि स्थानात्‌ प्रच्यावयितुमज्जसा,“महाबली महाबाहु अर्जुन अकेले ही देवराज इन्द्रको भी अनायास ही अपने स्थानसे हटा देनेमें समर्थ हैं

Transliteration

samarthaḥ sa mahābāhur eko ’pi sumahābalaḥ | devarājam api sthānāt pracyāvayitum ajjasā ||

Translation

Pahlawan berlengan perkasa itu, meski seorang diri dan berdaya amat besar, sanggup—tanpa susah payah—menggoyahkan bahkan raja para dewa, Indra, dari singgasananya.

Word by Word

समर्थःcapable, competent

सःhe

महाबाहुःthe mighty-armed one

एकःalone, single

अपिeven, also

सुमहाबलःvery strong, of great strength

देवराजम्the king of the gods (Indra)

अपिeven

स्थानात्from (his) place/position

प्रच्यावयितुम्to dislodge, to cause to fall/move away

अज्जसाeasily, straightaway

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna

Indra (Devarāja)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates Arjuna’s kṣatriya prowess to a near-divine level, implying that rightful strength, when aligned with dharma, can stand even against the highest authority. It also frames power as meaningful when it serves protection and righteous purpose, not mere domination.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana praises Arjuna’s exceptional might, stating that even alone he could, with ease, dislodge Indra from his position—an emphatic hyperbole (or heroic claim) used to convey Arjuna’s unmatched martial capability in the unfolding forest-episode context of the Vana Parva.