Shloka 38
निवातकवचवधः — Arjuna’s Neutralization of the Nivātakavacas
Vajra-astra deployment
तथा क्रान्ते रथे राजन् विस्मितश्लैदमब्रवीत् । राजन! उस समय देवसारथि मातलिने आकाशमें चक्कर लगाते हुए रथपर स्थिरतापूर्वक बैठे हुए मेरे मुखकी ओर दृष्टिपात किया और आश्वर्यवकित होकर कहा -- ३७३ || अत्यद्भुतमिदं त्वद्य विचित्र प्रतिभाति मे
tathā krānte rathe rājan vismitaḥ ślīdam abravīt | atyadbhutam idaṃ tv adya vicitraṃ pratibhāti me ||
Wahai Raja, ketika kereta itu bergerak demikian, Mātali—kusir ilahi—duduk teguh di atas kereta tatkala ia berputar melintasi angkasa, lalu memandang ke arah wajahku; dan dengan penuh kehairanan berkata: “Pada hari ini, hal ini tampak padaku sungguh amat menakjubkan dan ganjil luar biasa.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical and spiritual mood of awe (vismaya) before extraordinary events: even a divine charioteer responds with humility and wonder, suggesting that marvels are to be met with attentive reverence rather than arrogance.
Arjuna reports to the king that as their chariot moved through the sky, Mātali looked at him and, amazed, remarked that what they are witnessing is extraordinarily marvelous and uncanny—signaling a significant, otherworldly development in their journey.