Shloka 286
गान्धारी-प्रशमनम् — Pacification of Gāndhārī and Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel at Hāstinapura
कस्त्वदन्यः सहेत् साक्षादपि वज्ी पुरंदर: । युधिष्ठिरने कहा--शत्रुमर्दन श्रीकृष्ण! द्रोणाचार्य और कर्णने जिस ब्रह्मास्त्रका प्रयोग किया था, उसे आपके सिवा दूसरा कौन सह सकता था। साक्षात् वज्रधारी इन्द्र भी उसका आघात नहीं सह सकते थे
kastvadanyaḥ sahet sākṣād api vajrī purandaraḥ |
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Kṛṣṇa, penghancur musuh! Siapakah selain engkau yang mampu menanggungnya? Bahkan Purandara sendiri—Indra pemegang vajra—tidak akan sanggup menahan hentaman langsung (senjata itu).”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the idea that true refuge and strength may lie beyond ordinary human or even divine standards: Yudhiṣṭhira acknowledges Kṛṣṇa’s exceptional capacity to bear what others cannot, encouraging humility and reliance on higher guidance amid crisis.
In the Shalya Parva war context, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Kṛṣṇa with reverence, declaring that no one else could have endured such a direct blow—invoking even Indra as a comparison—to emphasize Kṛṣṇa’s unparalleled might and protective role.