Shloka 266
Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)
यद्वैतेषां भवेद् योग्यं वधाय विबुधद्विषाम् । परंतु भगवान् शक्र उस समय ऐसा कोई हथियार न पा सके, जो उन देदवद्रोहियोंके वधके लिये उपयोगी हो सके
yad vai teṣāṃ bhaved yogyaṃ vadhāya vibudhadvīṣām | parantu bhagavān śakraḥ tasmin samaye tādṛśaṃ kiñcid āyudhaṃ na prāpa, yat teṣāṃ devadrohiṇāṃ vadhāya upayogī syāt ||
ਵੈਸ਼ੰਪਾਯਨ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਦੇਵ-ਦ್ವੇਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਵਧ ਲਈ ਜੋ ਕੁਝ ਵੀ ਯੋਗ ਹੋ ਸਕਦਾ ਸੀ, ਉਸ ਵੇਲੇ ਭਗਵਾਨ ਸ਼ਕ੍ਰ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਐਸਾ ਕੋਈ ਅਸਤ੍ਰ ਨਾ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਜੋ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੇਵਦ੍ਰੋਹੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਸ ਲਈ ਸੱਚਮੁੱਚ ਕੰਮ ਆ ਸਕੇ।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even divine authority is not automatically effective without the right means: righteous intent alone does not guarantee success. The verse highlights the ethical tension that punishment of grave wrongdoing (betrayal of the devas/cosmic order) still depends on appropriate instruments and circumstances.
The narrator Vaiśaṃpāyana describes a moment when Indra (Śakra), despite being the chief of the gods, cannot find a weapon suitable to kill certain enemies of the devas. The scene underscores the seriousness of the adversaries and the narrative need for a specific, destined means of their defeat.