Shloka 4

Devanagari script

शक्रस्य हस्ताद्‌ दयितं वज्रमस्त्रं च दुः:सहम्‌ । अशनीक्ष महानादा मेघबहिणलक्षणा:,उन्होंने इन्द्रके हाथसे उनके प्रिय एवं दुःसह अस्त्र वज्॑ और भारी गड़गड़ाहट पैदा करनेवाली उन अशनियोंको ग्रहण किया, जिनका प्रयोग करनेपर जगतमें मेघोंकी घटा घिर आती और मयूर नृत्य करने लगते हैं

Transliteration

śakrasya hastād dayitaṃ vajram astraṃ ca duḥsaham | aśanīkṣā mahānādā megha-bahiṇa-lakṣaṇāḥ |

Translation

Dari tangan Śakra (Indra) sendiri ia menerima vajra—senjata kesayangan yang tak tertahankan—serta kilat-kilat yang menggelegar dahsyat, yang bila dilepaskan membuat gumpalan awan pekat berkumpul di langit.

Word by Word

शक्रस्यof Śakra (Indra)

हस्तात्from (his) hand

दयितम्beloved, dear

वज्रम्the thunderbolt (Vajra)

अस्त्रम्weapon, missile

चand

दुःसहम्hard to endure, irresistible

अशनीःlightnings, thunderbolts

महानादाःhaving great roar (loud-sounding)

मेघबहिणलक्षणाःmarked by masses of clouds (cloud-formation as their sign)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Śakra (Indra)

Vajra

Aśanī (lightning/thunderbolt)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Divine power is portrayed as a trust: receiving an irresistible weapon from Indra implies both capability and restraint. The verse highlights awe-inspiring force (storm, thunder, lightning) while implicitly reminding that such force must be governed by dharma and responsibility, not mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a moment of empowerment: a hero receives Indra’s cherished Vajra and roaring lightning-like missiles. Their use is so potent that it is likened to monsoon signs—cloudbanks gathering and peacocks dancing—emphasizing the weapon’s cosmic, weather-shaping grandeur.