Shloka 132
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
तदैन्द्रमस्त्रं विततं च घोर- मसह्ामुद्वीक्ष्य युगान्तकल्पम् । अथापयानं कुरव: सभीष्मा: सद्रोणदुर्योधनबाह्िकाश्न
tadā indram astraṃ vitataṃ ca ghoraṃ sahāṃ udvīkṣya yugāntakalpam | atha apayānaṃ kuravaḥ sabhīṣmāḥ sadroṇaduryodhanabāhlīkāś ca ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing that dreadful Indra-weapon fully unleashed—terrible like the cataclysm at the end of an age—the Kauravas began to fall back in fear, even Bhīṣma, along with Droṇa, Duryodhana, and Bāhlīka. The scene underscores how, in war, even the mightiest are shaken when divine force is invoked, and how fear can overtake pride when destruction appears beyond human measure.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and psychological truth that power and status do not guarantee steadiness: when violence escalates to a seemingly world-ending level through divine weaponry, even renowned warriors recoil. It cautions against hubris in war and points to the limits of human control once destructive forces are unleashed.
Sañjaya reports that a terrifying divine missile—the Indra-weapon—has been released and appears like an end-of-age catastrophe. Confronted by it, the Kaurava forces begin to retreat, including major leaders such as Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Duryodhana, and Bāhlīka.