Shloka 66
न शक्तस्तानि मघवान् भेत्तुं सर्वायुधैरपि । अथ सर्वे सुरा रुद्रं जग्मु: शरणमर्दिता:,इन्द्र सम्पूर्ण अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंका प्रयोग करके भी उन नगरोंका भेदन न कर सके। तब उनसे पीड़ित हुए सम्पूर्ण देवता भगवान् शंकरकी शरणमें गये
na śaktas tāni maghavān bhettuṁ sarvāyudhair api | atha sarve surā rudraṁ jagmuḥ śaraṇam arditāḥ ||
Vyāsa said: Even Maghavān (Indra), though employing every kind of weapon, was unable to break through those (fortified) cities. Then all the gods, afflicted and hard-pressed by them, went to Rudra (Śiva) seeking refuge—signaling that when power and armaments fail, humility and surrender to a higher divine order become the rightful course.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the limits of sheer force: even the foremost wielder of weapons (Indra) can fail against certain protections or destinies. In such moments, the ethically appropriate response is humility and seeking refuge in a higher divine principle (Rudra), implying that rightful action includes recognizing when human or even divine power is insufficient without grace.
Indra (Maghavān) tries to breach certain fortified cities using all weapons but cannot. The gods, distressed by this failure and the threat posed by those cities, collectively approach Rudra (Śiva) for protection and assistance.