Shloka 28
Dvaītavana: Brahmaghoṣa, Rṣi-saṅgha, and Baka Dālbhyā’s Upadeśa to Yudhiṣṭhira
यो देवांश्व मनुष्यांश्व॒ सर्पाश्नैकरथो&5जयत्
yo devāṁś ca manuṣyāṁś ca sarpāś ca ekaratho 'jayat
Vaiśampāyana said: “He, standing alone upon a single chariot, overcame gods, men, and serpents.” The line highlights extraordinary prowess and the moral tension of power—how unmatched strength can inspire awe, yet also invites reflection on the rightful purpose and restraint (dharma) that should govern such might.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the magnitude of a hero’s capability—so great it is portrayed as surpassing even gods and nāgas—while implicitly pointing to a dharmic question: immense power is admirable, but its true worth depends on righteous aim and self-restraint.
Vaiśampāyana describes a figure of exceptional martial strength, emphasizing that he could defeat diverse orders of beings—divine, human, and serpentine—while fighting alone from a single chariot, a conventional epic marker of supreme valor.