Shloka 54
Kirmīra-rākṣasa-saṃgamaḥ (Encounter and Slaying of Kirmīra) | किर्मीरेण सह भीमसेनसमागमः
ब्रह्मशंकरशक्राद्यैर्देववृन्दै: पुन: पुनः । क्रीडसे त्वं नरव्याप्र बाल: क्रीडनकैरिव,नरश्रेष्ठ! जैसे बालक खिलौनोंसे खेलता है, उसी प्रकार आप ब्रह्मा, शिव तथा इन्द्र आदि देवताओंसे बारंबार क्रीडा करते रहते हैं
brahmaśaṅkaraśakrādyair devavṛndaiḥ punaḥ punaḥ | krīḍase tvaṃ naravyāghra bālaḥ krīḍanakair iva ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O tiger among men, you sport again and again with hosts of gods—Brahmā, Śaṅkara, Śakra, and others—just as a child plays with toys.” The line underscores the speaker’s awe at a human hero’s extraordinary, almost effortless superiority over even divine powers, framing it as playful mastery rather than aggressive domination.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse conveys awe at a hero whose power is so great that even the gods become, metaphorically, objects of play—highlighting extraordinary capability tempered by a tone of effortless mastery rather than cruelty.
Vaiśampāyana addresses a foremost man (naravyāghra), describing him as repeatedly ‘sporting’ with Brahmā, Śiva, Indra, and other gods, using the simile of a child playing with toys to emphasize the disparity in power.