Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 33
Indra Slays Namuci—The Limits of Power and the Triumph of Divine Strategy
तस्मादिन्द्रोऽबिभेच्छत्रोर्वज्र: प्रतिहतो यत: । किमिदं दैवयोगेन भूतं लोकविमोहनम् ॥ ३३ ॥
tasmād indro ’bibhec chatror vajraḥ pratihato yataḥ kim idaṁ daiva-yogena bhūtaṁ loka-vimohanam
敵に弾かれて金剛杵が戻って来るのを見て、インドラは大いに恐れた。そして「これはいかなる天の結びつきによるのか。世を惑わす奇瑞ではないか」と思い巡らした。
Indra’s thunderbolt is invincible, and therefore when Indra saw that it had returned without doing any injury to Namuci, he was certainly very much afraid.
FAQs
This verse shows that even Indra’s famed thunderbolt can be rendered ineffective by daiva-yoga—an overriding divine arrangement—so outcomes are not solely determined by strength or weapons.
Indra’s confidence rested on the vajra’s invincibility; when it was checked, he recognized an extraordinary, providential factor at work and feared his enemy’s unexpected advantage.
When plans fail despite competence, this verse advises humility and reflection—recognizing higher factors beyond control and responding with steadiness rather than panic.