Shloka 18
राक्षसा निहता: सर्वे तव देव पुर:सरा: | राजन्! अपने सिरके बाल बिखेरे हुए वे राक्षस यक्षराज कुबेरसे इस प्रकार बोले --देव! आपके भी सभी राक्षस, जो युद्धमें सदा आगे रहते और गदा, परिघ, खड़्ग, तोमर तथा प्रास आदिके युद्धमें कुशल थे, मार डाले गये ।। १७३ प्रमृद्य तरसा शैलं मानुषेण धनेश्वर
Vaiśampāyana uvāca | rākṣasā nihatāḥ sarve tava deva puraḥsarāḥ | rājan, apane śirake bāla bikhere hue ve rākṣasa yakṣarājaṃ kuberaṃ se isa prakāra बोले—deva, āpake bhī sabhī rākṣasa, jo yuddha meṃ sadā āge rahate aur gadā, parigha, khaḍga, tomara tathā prāsa-ādike yuddha meṃ kuśala the, mār ḍāle gaye | (apara pādaḥ) pramṛdya tarasā śailaṃ mānuṣeṇa dhaneśvara
Vaiśampāyana said: “O King, all those rākṣasas of yours—O Lord—who used to lead from the front have been slain.” With their hair dishevelled in grief and shock, the rākṣasas addressed Kubera, the king of the Yakṣas: “O god, your rākṣasas too—ever foremost in battle and skilled with mace, iron club, sword, javelin, and spear—have been killed. O Lord of wealth, a mere human, in a surge of force, has crushed even a mountain.” The passage underscores the moral reversal of war: pride in martial prowess collapses before fate and righteous power, and the mighty learn humility when violence meets a stronger counter-force.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Martial skill and numerical strength do not guarantee victory; arrogance collapses when confronted by a higher force—whether destiny, dharma-backed power, or divine ordinance—prompting humility and reflection on the limits of violence.
After a battle, the rākṣasas report to Kubera that the foremost fighters—expert in multiple weapons—have been killed, and they emphasize the astonishing strength of a human who, in sheer momentum, can ‘crush a mountain,’ highlighting the scale of the defeat.